


The Third Wheel

by sponsormusings



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Older Woman/Younger Man, Prompts in Panem, Seven Deadly Sins, Smut, Teacher!Katniss, Teacher!Peeta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:57:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 48,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sponsormusings/pseuds/sponsormusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen was done with blind dates, Internet dates, speed dates, any kind of date - and if she didn't want to be a third wheel, then she'd just damn well spend her Friday nights at home. Problem solved...until her irresistible new co-worker gives her a whole new set of problems she hadn't anticipated. </p><p>A submission for Prompts in Panem (Seven Deadly Sins), Day 1 - Wrath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Katniss Everdeen pressed her face into the pillow, the thunderous scream that ripped from her throat muffling itself against the soft pale blue cotton.

He'd done it again.

Rolling onto her back, she clenched her hands into tight fists that rested by her side, anger and frustration coursing through her like a wildfire. Anger and frustration at him, for not only picking her up late and then treating her like a piece of shit for the rest of the night, but anger and frustration at herself for giving him a second shot.

Assholes like Cato Phillips didn't deserve a first chance really, let alone a second one.

But she'd given him one, at urging from Prim, from Madge, even her mom, that maybe their first date had just been an anomaly. After all, blind dates could sometimes be awkward, be a little weird, especially if neither had been on one before.

 _No_ , she shook her head angrily to herself, _the date had failed because he was a dick, and she was never, ever, ever going to let Clove set her up on another one again._

Reaching down and plucking her phone from the purse she'd dumped beside the bed, she tapped out a text, having to delete and rewrite words half a dozen times as her fingers bashed forcefully at the screen.

_Katniss: M, next time Clove tells me she's setting me up on a blind date, remind me to tell her to go fuck herself. Really. I should have known, coming from her, that it would be a damned failure._

She let it drop onto the mattress, and only had to wait a moment to hear the soft ping in response.

_Madge: Ah, shit, Kat, really? It was just as bad as the first time? I'm sorry. I prob shouldn't have told you to give him another go._

_Katniss: You're damned right. Gah! I'm so pissed right now._

_Madge: What the hell did he do?_

_Katniss: Let me put it this way. If you ever go out on a date and the guy tries to cop a feel of your waitress when he thinks you're not looking, feel free to slug him one. Just...there's no more of this blind date shit for me, ok? I don't need anyone right now._

_Madge: I promise there won't be. Scouts honour. I'm sorry it sucked._

Katniss let the phone drop to the floor where it landed on the cream mat with a thud, and flung an arm over her eyes, blocking the thin sliver of moonlight that was filtering through the blind. She couldn't be assed closing them properly right now.

She didn't know why she'd yes to Clove in the first place.

_Yes you do, Katniss, it was the group of expectant eyes all staring at you in the work lunchroom as Clove suggested it._

She didn't know why Madge and Prim had encouraged her for another date.

_Yes you do, Katniss, because although they'd never say it, you know they don't want you to be the third wheel in their relationships forever._

She didn't know why she'd given him a second chance.

_Yes you do, Katniss, because you don't want to be the third wheel forever either._

She sighed, and rolled over again, punching the pillow with more force than necessary to get it comfortable. Either way, it didn't matter. She was 27 years old, had a successful job, had a relatively decent apartment for the first time in her life, and she didn't have to eat peas anymore if she damn well didn't want to. She was done with blind dates, Internet dates, speed dates, any kind of date. And if she didn't want to be a third wheel, then she'd just damn well stay at home.

She envisioned she had a lot of dates with Netflix in her future, and she didn’t care one bit.

********

"Miss Everdeen?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, there's a guy standing at the door."

Katniss' head whipped up from the book she was quietly reading at her desk, towards the door where, through the square window, she could see there was indeed someone standing. From this far away, and with her reading glasses on, all she saw was a blur of blonde hair. Yanking the black framed glasses from the bridge of her nose - she still wasn't completely used to them and hated the fact that she had to wear them at all - she stood up, glanced at the clock and stalked over to the door. She rested a hand on the knob before turning back to face the room.

"You have five minutes, guys, then those science tests are all mine. Don't screw about." She yanked open the door and stepped outside, leaving it open just ajar. She could already hear the murmurs starting, and she sighed. "Can I help you?" She asked bluntly, and glanced up into the face of the intruder.

_Shit._

"Uh, yeah. I'm looking for the auditorium, but I'm pretty sure I took a wrong turn." The accompanying grin was almost bashful, blue eyes twinkling with both nerves and laughter, and Katniss swallowed heavily.

She hadn't seen him before. He was obviously new, maybe even fresh out of university. He wasn't exceptionally tall, but that would be the last thing you'd really notice of him anyway. You'd be too busy looking at the broad shoulders, the legs that looked too damn good in jeans and....well, she wasn't going to think about those eyes twice.

She couldn’t ever remember being so dumbstruck in her life.

She cleared her throat, aware that silence was lingering, and pointed to her left. "If you came from Principal Paylor's office, you needed to turn left instead of right at that corridor back there. You'll find it if you keep going straight ahead. Now if you'll excuse me-" she started to turn back to the door, but paused as his hand rested on her arm.

"Thanks, ah....?"

She sighed. _Great. The cute guy had just ruined himself by wanting to chat._ "Miss Everdeen."

"Thanks Miss Everdeen," he replied formally with a grin. "I'm Mr Mellark, the new art teacher."

"Of course you are," she replied with a thin-lipped smile. "I teach sciences, and right now I have a bunch of kids being little shits back there because I'm out here, so...." She trailed off and began to open the door. "I hope you find the auditorium, Mr Mellark." She closed the door behind her, ignoring the smile that still graced his face, and fixed her students - who were now sitting quietly, only sneaked grins to each other giving them away - with a glare.  She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the same time as giggling erupted.

"C'mon guys. You really think I'm that stupid? I know you were talking all the way through that. Hand those papers back now." She held a hand out as she made her way around the classroom, collecting each paper as she went, and she had to suppress a grin. These kids might drive her nuts some days, but in this class, they were the snarkiest ones she knew. She loved their sass, their unapologetic grumpiness, the way their scowls greeted her on the way in, and their smiles said goodbye as they went out. They pretty much loved her for the same reasons.

Katniss Everdeen had never imagined being a teacher, but now she couldn't think of anything else she would ever want to do.

Moving back to her desk, she opened the drawer, shoving the papers inside before locking it with the key that jangled against two other charms on a long chain that ended just below the valley of her breasts beneath her shirt. It was lunch, which meant Clove, she of the bad blind-date set up and Capitol High School's resident running coach, was going to get an earful. Or the cold shoulder which, Katniss admitted, she did so much better than a verbal spar.

She grabbed her bag and walked down the corridor, a slim woman with long ebony hair that, no matter how it started in the morning, would always be in a braid by the time she returned home. Silver eyes, inherited from her father, that were quiet and soft until she got angry or excited. And then they sparked like a bolt of electricity, bright and fiery and intense.

At least, that was what a fleeting potential hook up once told her when he was trying (unsuccessfully) to get into her pants.

Pushing open the door, she took a quick glance around the half empty staffroom, noted Clove by the coffee machine, and moved towards the small table by the window.  There was no point in her going to Clove - the short brunette would undoubtedly come to her.

"Hey Katniss!" The voice was high pitched, a little nasal, and right on cue. _Good,_ Katniss thought, _she has a cold.  Serves her right_. "How did the date go?"

Katniss glanced up, eyebrow raised, as she unwrapped the boring sandwich she'd packed for lunch.  "Never again, Clove.  Never again. Seriously.  I mean it."

"Really? Why?" Clove seemed genuinely surprised, and sat across from Katniss.  She had to sigh - she didn't really like Clove on the best of days, let alone having to talk to her about shit like this.  She took a huge bite of bread and cheese and ham, and took her time chewing and swallowing.  

Simply because she knew having to wait would piss Clove off.

She finally swallowed, and sighed.  "Because, like I thought the first time, Cato is an asshole.  It wasn't any better than the first date. And if you're so intent on setting him up with someone, why the hell don't _you_ go out with him, if you think he’s that fabulous?" Clove's mouth dropped open, and she blushed. And for the first time, Katniss clued in. "Oh, wow, you want to, don't you?  Why the hell are you pushing him onto-"

"Katniss!" She heard her name carried across the room, and looked over to see Madge rushing in the door, her blonde hair flying.  Madge was her closest friend at the school, and Katniss had to say it wasn't necessarily the prim and proper and polite Madge that had appealed to her when she had started at the school two years earlier.

It was the one who had a penchant for telling the dirtiest jokes Katniss had ever heard.

The pretty music teacher fell into the final spare chair and dumped her bag on the floor, barely glancing at a still blushing Clove.  "You will NOT believe what I just saw!"

"Madge, you know I hate this game.  Just tell me."

Madge rolled her eyes, and rested her elbows on the table edge, cupping her chin in her hands.  "I just saw the hottest teacher to have ever graced these halls.  And as a soon-to-be married woman, I can't have him.  Katniss, I need to introduce you to the new art teacher-"

"Mellark," Katniss interrupted, and sat back in her chair.  Madge's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I've already seen him and while yes, he's good looking for sure, he's too young for me.  And I already told you on _Saturday night_ ," she said pointedly, shooting a glare in Clove's still oblivious direction, "I don't want anything like that.  I don't want to be set up, I don't want any dates, I don't want anything.  I'm fine."

"Heh," Madge replied with a smirk. "You said he was good looking."

"Ugh, whatever." She pushed her chair back, stuffing the rest of the sandwich in her mouth before tugging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I'm gonna go...mark exams or some shit. Alone. On my own. The way I want it."

Madge just grinned. Clove didn't even notice she'd gone.

********

So he was cute.

It didn't even matter.

_He was younger than her._

_He was another teacher._

_She didn't want a relationship right now._

_She didn't even want a date._

But it didn't stop her from glancing at his ass as she watched him on stage in the auditorium during her lunchbreak, laughing with three students as they unfurled a large roll of material, which from this far away just looked like swirls of orange on white on pale peach.

Peeta Mellark been there for 3 months already, and had injected a breath of fresh air into the art department. He'd not only reinvigorated a curriculum that hadn't been updated since before Katniss was born, but had also gotten involved in the school play, designing the sets with a half dozen students - most of whom were Katniss' as well, and who had been bugging her for weeks to look at their project.

She'd made up every excuse in the book, until Madge had suspiciously queried why she was being so stubborn. And because she didn't want to admit that the new art teacher - who she'd confirmed _was_ fresh out of university - had occupied one or two or ten dreams that had had Katniss needing a cold shower when she awoke, she finally relented.

But now she was here she kind of regretted it, _because she couldn't stop looking at him and thinking about putting her hands on his ass_. It was ridiculous.  She was a grown woman, and she was better than this.

She sighed.   _No, apparently she wasn't_.

Katniss had only spoken to him on that one occasion; otherwise they had only had a fleeting hello in the hallway, a nod of the head in the staffroom. He'd attempted to strike up another conversation with her one afternoon as they'd both been leaving at the same time, but she'd lost the quick words she'd had for him the first time they'd met - her tongue had tied and tangled until he'd smiled at her awkwardly and excused himself.

She'd never felt like a bigger fool.

"Hey Miss Everdeen!" She shook her head as she heard a voice call her name, and she looked up to see Rue waving at her from the stage. She lifted a hand awkwardly in return, and made her way down the centre path to the foot of the stage.

"Hey Rue. This is looking really good.  Worth the extra credit, huh?"

Rue - a senior with a shock of wayward curls, pretty brown eyes and mocha skin - nodded happily, then slid her eyes across to Peeta, who had moved up a ladder and was now fixing the draping of fabric across a large wall at the back of the stage. " _Very_ worth it," she giggled, and Katniss had to hold herself back from rolling her eyes.

_Good lord, the students as well?_

"What do you think?" he suddenly called from his lofty height, looking down to Katniss and Rue. Katniss studied the silky fabric, falling gently and shimmering under the bright stage lights.

"It.....it looks like a sunset," Katniss said, surprised.  While the wall itself had also been painted various shades of orange, it was the rippling effect of the material that made it come alive, made it real.  The guy knew what he was doing.

"Then I've done my job," he grinned, and skipped the final few rungs of the ladder, jumping to the floor with a thud. The other two girls who'd been assisting had moved to the side of the stage and tittered to each other as he wiped his hands on the back of his jeans and stopped beside Katniss and Rue.

"What's the performance again this year?" Katniss asked.  

"It's one the school hasn't done before, one based on a recent YA book.  I heard Cress- I mean, Miss Jones, had to do some serious convincing to get them to agree, but she got it in the end. Rue here has a starring role," Peeta nudged the young girl in the shoulder, who grinned, before she caught the other girls gesturing her over.

"Ugh, sorry Mr M.  I have to go.  You're right with the rest?"

"I'm fine, Rue.  Everything else can wait til after school. Thanks for your help." Rue nodded, grabbed her bag and shot off out the side doors, waving over her shoulder, with her friends in tow.

With a jolt of realisation, Katniss found herself alone with the blonde art teacher.

She shuffled her feet a little, desperate to look at her watch, and make an excuse like Rue had. But she couldn't, simply because she knew she was an awful liar, and he'd know.   _He'd just know._ So she stood, and glanced around the stage as if completely enthralled by the set.

"I've never seen you in here before," she heard him comment, and she glanced back at him.  He was smiling just with the left side of his mouth, the smallest dimple popping in his cheek. He'd shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, his knee bent and his posture relaxed; Katniss marvelled at how self-assured he seemed for a 23 year old.

 _23, Katniss, you know he's 23_.

"I, uh, I've been really busy.  Lots of exams to mark. But, uh, Rue had been asking me for a while to check in, she seems really excited by it."

Peeta nodded enthusiastically.  "Rue's great.  She's very talented, and unlike some other students, she's not a prissy bi- erm..." he blushed, and Katniss almost laughed.

"It's ok.  I know what you're trying to say," she replied with a smile.

"Yeah, there are times when I forget that I need to be careful about what I say now I’m gainfully employed," he said ruefully.  

"The pitfalls of being a teacher," Katniss joked, and he laughed. He slid his hand from his jeans pocket and glanced at his watch, before grimacing.

"I'm sorry, I actually have to go too. I'm catching up with Cressida about rehearsals this weekend - somehow not only have I signed up for the set design, but I'm also a chaperone for rehearsals.  Something about hoping to avoid the kids making out in the dressing room or something." He walked to the edge of the stage and jumped off it, before turning back to her.  "But, uh, it's been nice talking to you, Miss Everdeen.  Drop by whenever you like." He tipped his head, and had walked halfway up the path before she cleared her throat enough to call out to him.

"Mr Mellark?"

He twisted first his head, then his body around, before beginning to walk backwards.  "Yeah?"

"You can call me Katniss."

He smiled.  "Then drop by whenever you like, Katniss."

She watched him walk out, then slapped a palm to her forehead.

_What the hell was she doing?_

********

It happened so subtly that she didn't notice it at first. She would see him occasionally in the staffroom, and he would say hi and ask how Rue was going in her science classes. It became a habit for her to ask after the play if they both happened to be in the administration centre, or if they shared detention duty. They would have a quick chat over the potentially life ending staffroom coffee after a staff meeting.

Then suddenly they were eating lunch together every time they had the same period off, and she would find herself wandering down to the auditorium on Wednesdays to watch rehearsals once her last class had finished. Nothing had ever moved beyond friendly - she made sure of it, because she absolutely didn't need to make a bumbling fool of herself - but somehow, in the matter of a couple of months, they had become friends.

Over shared sandwiches - his turkey and cranberry on rye concoction beat hers hands down - they discovered a shared love of the same music, opposing views on Marvel movies (she hated them, he loved them, to no surprise), and had had a viciously heated discussion when he had almost spoiled season three of Game of Thrones for her. He'd offered for her to go to his place to watch it so she could catch up, but she'd declined, blushing red and thinking there was no way in hell she could watch that with him in the same room.

Madge had commented on their growing closeness a number of times, but Katniss had finally snapped at her to shut the hell up. She thought it may have given the game away, but it hadn't been mentioned since.

"Katniss? Earth to Katniss?" Peeta waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention, and she shook her head, startled. "Where'd you go?"

"Uh...just going through the answers in my head to the exam my eighth graders have on Monday."

He shook his head. "So serious! Come on, think about fun stuff. What are you doing this weekend?"

"I dunno, it's still two days away," Katniss shrugged.  "My sister wanted me to go shopping with her, but then we both remembered I hate the mall, and then her roster changed so she couldn't come here anyway. So....nothing I suppose. What about you?"

He gestured with his arm, out towards the stage where two dark haired girls rolled across the wooden floor, in a fairly good impression of a fight. "Rehearsals are my life. Although I'm glad I stepped forward - it's great - I have had zero social life the last 5 months as a result."

"You only have 2 more weeks of rehearsals though, right?"

"Yeah. I guess that puts an end to these clandestine meetings between us, huh?" He nudged her shoulder with his, and she had to grip the handle of the seat at the blast of heat that imploded on her skin at his touch.

_Get over yourself, Katniss._

He suddenly held his hand up excitedly. "If you have nothing on, you can always come to the rehearsal. It's our first run through with costumes, gives you an insider look. Plus you can be a little more objective and honest, because right now we all just think everything is amazing in it."  She felt the grimace almost involuntarily creep over her face, and watched as the excitement in his eyes faded. "You don't want to come?"

She couldn't deal with the level of hurt in his voice - over a damned play! - and shook her head. "No, no, I'd....I'd love to." _Dammit._ "What time?"

"It starts at ten," he told her, then pushed up off the seat - _don't look at his arms, Katniss, don't look at his arms_ \- stretching as he did so - _oh god don't look at his back, don't look at his back_. “I’ll see you later?”

“See you later,” she echoed.

She already knew a Saturday morning in an auditorium with a bunch of teenagers and Peeta Mellark was a bad idea.

********

Friday morning started like any other.

Until 5th period, when Clove was waiting outside her classroom door, bouncing around erratically. And considering the only bouncing Clove normally did was on the spot before a run, Katniss knew something was up.

She didn't expect the gaudy looking bauble that graced Clove's ring finger as she waved her hand enthusiastically in front of Katniss' face.

".....And if you hadn't been _so_ not his type, we never would have hooked up and oh my god I never expected this and I mean we've only been dating for 5 months, but it's so right....." She vaguely heard Clove's words - to be honest they were so unlike the normally bitchy, sarcastic ones Katniss was used to hearing from her that she was almost suspicious this Clove was a pod person - but she wasn't ingesting them. Not properly.

_Even god-dammed Clove Anderson could find a guy, and here she was mooning over a boy like a love-struck teenager._

"Wow, that's great, Clove. I'm really happy for you and the ass- Cato. You and Cato," She replied, once Clove's babbling had ceased. She smiled, a thin-lipped, brittle one and turned on her heel, heading towards the music rooms. She couldn’t even begin to describe how she was feeling, but she knew she was going to need a Saturday night date with Madge, a rom-com she could ridicule and a mountain of Ben and Jerry's.

********

" _I just don't want them to change me_ _, if I'm going to die I still want to be me."_

Katniss stared at the stage, not wanting to look away.  These kids – and they were only 16 or 17, for crying out loud - were _good_.  She was completely sucked in.

The play, she was certain, was going to be a hit.

“What do you think of it?” She felt the warm breath at her ear, and she grit her teeth as it sent a tremor down her spine.  She turned to see Peeta crouched beside her, his arms full with a box that looked like it contained nothing but rocks. His blue eyes shone with excitement.

“They’re terrific, the rehearsal is going really well,” she admitted.  “And the sets look great.”

“Thanks,” Peeta grinned.  “I’m really happy with it all.  Makes me feel like a proper artist.”

“You want to be a proper artist?” she asked.

He shook his head.  “Nah.  I’m pretty good with painting, but I need to be out there, interacting with people.  I found if I locked myself up in the studio for too long, I went a bit nuts.”  He glanced up at the stage, watched the two teenage love interests continue to read through the scene, and indicated with his head towards the auditorium doors.  “I have another box back here that I need to take back to my classroom.  Do you think you could grab it for me?”

Katniss shrugged and rose from her seat. “Sure, why not?”

She moved up the path beside him, picking up the box on the way, and followed him to the art room he occupied just down the hall.  She’d never stepped inside, and was surprised at how immaculate it was. The walls were covered in bright pieces of artwork, and a number of small sculptures rested on a low-lying cabinet, but otherwise, it looked like any other old classroom.

“I, uh….this wasn’t what I expected,” she announced, dumping the box on his desk and resting against it.  “It’s so….normal.”

Peeta laughed.  “Yeah, this isn’t where the action happens.  We do all our work through there.” He pointed to a door at the other end of the room.  “This is just for exams and attendance and all that boring stuff.” He put his box in the corner of the room, and followed suit with the one she had carried, before returning and sitting on the desk beside her.  “Thanks for your help.”

“Not a problem,” she replied. Her heart pounded in her chest – this was the first time she’d been alone with him, and oh god, he smelt good. She needed to think of something, anything to stop herself from…

“So I-”

“What-”

They both laughed awkwardly as they talked over the top of the other, and Katniss gestured towards him.  “You first.”

“I was just going to say that I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you better the last few months.”

_Uh-oh._

“Uh, yeah.  Me too,” Katniss replied warily.

“I mean, you’ve made me feel really welcome here.”

“Erm, I’m glad…..”

“I mean, the students kept talking about how great you are, and I was hoping to get to know the elusive Miss Everdeen a little more after our first meeting, and then you walked into the auditorium….” She turned to him then, wanting to try and determine where he was going with this.

He looked nervous, a little wary. His fingers were tapping out a rhythm on the desk, only millimetres from hers. The room suddenly felt stifling, felt like all the air had been sucked out of it.  He’d never been so god-damned attractive.

 _Oh what the hell,_ she thought, and reached up, yanking at the front of his shirt and pulling his mouth to hers. Not even his yelp of surprise stopped her.

It was so long since she’d done this, so long since she’d felt someone’s lips on hers that she worried she was doing it wrong.  But she figured she was doing ok when she felt his arms slip around her, pulling her to him so she was crushed against his chest, his tongue teasing and tangling against hers. She heard a moan and would have been mortified to know it was her, if she’d even realised.

His hand slid up the back of her shirt, fingers dusting and kneading against the bare skin. She didn’t even put up a fight when he managed to lay her down across his desk, didn’t even complain when a pencil dug into her back.

All she knew was that this was glorious, and she never wanted to let him go.

Lips danced across collarbones, hands fought against clothing that stood in their way.  She felt him, hard against her thigh, and her legs shifted almost involuntarily so that he was cradled between them.  They both let out a hiss at the contact, and Katniss looked up at him almost in shock.

His eyes were the deepest blue she’d ever seen, hooded and full of what she could only assume was lust. He eyed her hungrily, like she was water and he was dying of thirst.

_Water._

_H2O._

_Science._

_Teacher._

_He was meant to be chaperoning._

_He’s young._

_Oh my god._

She sat up with a yelp, pushing him off her so he stumbled backwards, bumping into a tall filing cabinet. His mouth opened in shock, but she beat him to it, scrabbling at her blouse so that it sat properly.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that was so inappropriate, and I’m sorry.  Oh god, you’re a teacher….” she babbled to herself, unable to look at him. He strode back to her, breathing heavily, and lifted her chin with his hand.

“I wanted that too, Katniss.  Don’t brush this off.  I’ve wanted you for so long, I’ve wanted to tell you for ages-”

“Don’t!” she snapped.  “This is so wrong!  You’re so young! And-”

“Young?  I’m, like 4 years younger than you, Katniss.  What the hell does that have to do with anything?  And there’s nothing at this school that says we can’t date.”

“I know, but…..” she ran her hands through her hair, trying to turn away, but he wouldn’t let her.  “I’m no good for you, Peeta.  I suck at relationships and dating, and I’ve got baggage and…ugh.  Just….I can’t.” Her eyes looked up at him pleadingly, and after a moment he let her go, his hands dropping to his sides as his eyes filled with hurt.

She fled from the room, leaving him – and her dignity – behind.

She needed that ice-cream more than ever now.

********

"And it's not even like I _want_ the asshole, her announcement just threw me for a loop. It's just.....It's been like 6 months since I went on a date. And...."

Madge shoved the spoon in the quart of cookie dough, and placed it on the coffee table between them. She'd readily agreed to spending her Saturday night at Katniss', considering Gale was having a poker night and she had no desire to play beer wench. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at Katniss straight on.

"You asked us not to. I specifically remember you pretty much put an embargo on dating, so we had to respect that."

Katniss shrugged. "I know, I know. But....." She twisted her braid around her hand and tugged. "I dunno. I can't explain it. It was just weird when Clove started giggling like a valley girl." She looked up guiltily, and before she even realised it, the words were tumbling out. She’d been hanging onto them all afternoon, hadn’t been able to get the images of them together out of her head. "I kissed Peeta Mellark while I was at play rehearsals today."

Madge practically fell off her chair. “Holy crap, Katniss!  Way to spring that on me!”

"Don't make a big deal out of it," Katniss warned, cringing. "It was an accident. I kissed him, I apologised, and left."

"What?! Why? Why did you apologise? You've _never_ done anything like that before, you know, made the first move, and the guy is hot!"

"He's 23, Madge!"

"So fucking what? He's nice, a great teacher, has a fine ass and he's...ugh, Kat, I'm not even going to get into that any more. Who cares if he's 23?"

"I do," Katniss said stubbornly, spooning another bite of ice-cream into her mouth forcefully. "And he's a teacher anyway."

"I repeat, so?"

"This is really annoying," Katniss warned.

"I know," Madge countered, and sighed. "Do you like him?"

Katniss glanced away, unwilling to tell Madge that what she'd felt when he'd pressed her down onto the desk, she'd never felt before. That only the knowledge that his chaperoning was for similar reasons to what they were doing right that minute, was the only thing that allowed sanity to break back through. So she lied.

"Not like that," she said softly. "Not enough to date."

Madge nodded, then leant forward, resting a hand on Katniss' knee. "Look, I know a really nice guy. He’s a friend of Gale’s. Would you let me organise something? It might...get you out of this funk. It could be fun."

Katniss stared into the carton of ice-cream in front of her, and sighed. _Why not? It was better than moping, or thinking about Peeta._

"Fine," she agreed. "And I mean, at least you have better taste than Clove."

Madge snorted. "That's an understatement."

********

She successfully avoided Peeta all week. There were no awkward conversations, no moments where she had to stare into his blue eyes and remember them hovering above her.

She was surprised how empty her week felt.

But she pushed it aside, and focused on her date with Thom. _Thom_ , she repeated. _Dark hair, dark eyes, tall. Quiet. Works with Gale._

This would be fine. At least she'd heard of him before.

She smoothed her hands down the thin, dark green jersey knit of the dress she'd yanked from the back of her closet, and tweaked at the hair she had left unbound. She glanced in the rear-view mirror and dabbed on some lip gloss, making sure the eyeliner she'd applied with a shaking hand - she was useless at that shit, she really was - was still in place. At least she looked half decent.

Stepping from the car, and locking it behind her, she walked briskly over to the door of the restaurant, her short heels tapping on the pavement. It echoed the nervous drum of her heart.

The hostess smiled at her as she walked in, and ran a finger down the reservation listings as Katniss mumbled out the booking. "Ah yes, Undersee, party of two. Your date is already here, Ms Undersee."

“Oh, I’m not….Actually, never mind,” Katniss sighed.  She wasn’t about to explain that she was on a blind-ish date to the hostess.  She followed the young girl through the winding restaurant, happy that the table seemed to be at the back, out of the way.  There would be nothing more awkward than a blind date in the middle of the restaurant.

“Here’s your table, Ms, enjoy your evening,” the hostess announced, and returned to the door, allowing Katniss a view of the table.

_Holy shit._

“Peeta?” She exclaimed, her eyes wide.  The look on his face was priceless, almost exactly a mirror image of what she imagined hers to be. She didn’t take her gaze away from him as she felt her phone vibrate in her purse, and as she reached in to fish it out.

She glanced at the message, and swore under her breath.

_Madge: Damn right I have better taste than Clove.  And you’re a terrible liar, btw.  Enjoy._

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Katniss: Answer your phone_

_Madge: Pffft. No_

_Katniss: I am going to kill you_

_Madge: Stop texting me and go speak to your date. FFS, Katniss, pull your head in. He's hot._

_Katniss: Shut up. Did he agree to this?_

_Madge: He knew as much as you. Go away. I'm not answering any more texts._

Katniss sighed, and dropped the phone back in her purse. As soon as she'd read Madge's first text she'd stuttered out an excuse to use the bathroom, and had left Peeta - practically dumbstruck - alone at their table.

She couldn't believe Madge had done this.

She glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror, surprised at the flush that spread across her cheeks, at how bright her eyes were. She was certain it was the embarrassment, and had nothing to do with how hot Peeta had looked in a pale blue dress shirt, the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Nothing at all.

She brushed a hand through her hair - instantly hating what she thought was such a silly, girly gesture - and took a few deep breaths.  Steeling herself, she pushed open the door, strode through the restaurant as purposefully as possible, and slid into her seat across from Peeta. A partially shredded napkin rested on the table in front of him.

"Sorry about that," she said quietly. He shrugged.

"It's ok. I, uh, guess you're as surprised as I am," he replied with a small smile.

"You could say that." She glanced around them, making sure no-one was paying them any attention. "What did Madge say to you to get you here?"

Peeta cleared his throat, and Katniss was surprised. She'd never seen him nervous before.  "She, um, told me that it was about time I got out after involving myself in the play so much and that she knew this great girl..."

"Girl," Katniss snorted.  She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure Madge meant it as a compliment," he told her.

"I'm sure she did," Katniss replied wryly, then glanced away. "So you were interested in this great 'girl', were you?"

Peeta shrugged. "I didn't know anything about her, but trusted Madge and figured why the hell not? After last week with us at school, and...I mean..." He trailed off, and blew out a breath, resigned.  "Look, Katniss, you can go if you want, you don't have to stick around. I won't be offended. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Katniss opened her mouth, then closed it again.  He was giving her an easy way out, giving her the option to leave, and to go home and send Madge more annoying texts. But as she began to accept, she found she didn't want to.

Peeta Mellark hadn't left her mind since the moment he'd laid her down on his desk and kissed her like his life depended on it. And against her better judgement, she didn't want to get him out of her mind.

"No.  No, it's ok.  I'll stay," she replied quietly.

"Really?"  The change on his face was immediate, almost stunning in its joy.

"Yeah.  I mean, we're friends, right? Things don't have to be awkward."

"Uh, sure," he agreed. "We can have a nice dinner between friends."

"Good." She nodded, and opened the menu she had so far ignored. "What do you say we order some drinks then?"

"Sounds like a plan," Peeta grinned. His dimple flashed, his lips quirked.  Any nervousness he’d had was obviously gone.

_Oh god, she was in trouble._

********

"But seriously, her wig makes her six feet tall.  And it's like this fuchsia colour, so you see it, and her, a mile away," Peeta laughed, sipping at his beer.

"And you're not responsible for the costumes, of course," Katniss replied, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms across her too-full belly. A good steak was her weakness, and she'd devoured it happily, as Peeta had regaled her with more stories of the rehearsals, and as she'd filled him in on Clove's unexpected engagement. She'd been surprised at how easily they'd talked, as if their kiss had never happened, just like they used to on their lunch breaks.  Maybe she could do this.  Maybe she could go back to just staring at his ass from afar and not thinking about getting him naked.

Much.

"Nope, not at all.  I do the sets, I refuse to go anywhere near the costumes," He was saying, and put his glass back on the table, resting his fingers against the wood grain table and tapping out a melody.  Katniss vaguely realised it was the same one he'd tapped out against his desk the week before.

"Are you looking forward to opening night?" She asked, as she continued to stare at his hand.

He nodded enthusiastically.  "I really am.  The kids have done a great job.  You should come along."

Katniss glanced up at him.  "I, um....probably will.  Rue would want me there."

"She would."  He paused, then looked down at the table.  "I'd like you to be there too." It was the first direct comment he'd made towards her about _them_ , the first one outside of general work conversation.  She supposed it hadn't been the ideal scenario for a date - talking work, and not personal particulars - but it also wasn't the usual blind date either.

"I...." She didn't really know what to say, but he jumped in quickly before she found her voice.

"Look, I'm sorry about last weekend, Katniss, I really am.  But I don't regret it.  Not one bit.  I wish you hadn't ignored me this week, wish you'd talked to me about it."

"I didn't know what to say," she admitted.  "I still don't."

He glanced over both of his shoulders, then back at her. "Can I tell you what I want to say then? Honestly?"

Katniss took a deep breath, not really sure if she wanted him to or not.  But she nodded anyway.  He leant forward, resting his forearms on the table and staring at her intently.  His voice was low and deep and smooth as he began to speak.  "I've been dreaming about you for months.  I think about you when I should be concentrating on painting a set, when I should be teaching the kids about Van Gogh and Michelangelo.  I think about you.  And me.  And for the last week all I've been able to think about is you, on my desk, under me.  Or over me.  However we ended up.  It didn't matter."

Her mouth dropped open.

"You don't have to say anything," he told her, leaning back, his voice back to its usual level.  "I just wanted to be honest with you."

She raised an eyebrow, still almost in shock at how blunt he'd been with her.  "I still don't know what to say," she said quietly.  "You're....very sure of yourself."

"No.  Just honest.  I want you, Katniss.  I don't see the point in lying about it.  Not anymore."

"You're 23.  You're so young."

"You're 27.  You're so old."

Her brow creased in consternation, until she saw the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.  "You're making fun of me, aren't you?" she snapped.

"Yep," he replied.  "It's just a little too easy."  He leant back in his seat, and she could feel his legs bump against hers as he stretched his out.  "I don't care how old you are, Katniss, or how old I am.  It's just four damned years. When you come to the same conclusion, just let me know."

Katniss stared at him. He was confident without being cocky, charming without being smarmy.  His smile was genuine, his eyes honest.  And he had barely even looked at their waitress, let alone tried to grope her.

Peeta Mellark made her heart thud and her pulse race and her stomach clench. And part of her had a hard time not wanting him at all.

"Urghfjk," she mumbled incoherently, then cleared her throat. She picked up the menu, primarily to hide her inflamed face. "Let's order dessert, shall we?"

********

"He said _what_?"

"Shit, Madge, I am not repeating myself," Katniss hissed. They had about 5 minutes until first period, and she'd already told Madge a slightly abridged version of her date with Peeta. "Plus I'm still pissed with you for going behind my back. You're lucky I told you anything."

Madge rolled her eyes, flipping her long straight ponytail over her shoulder. "Oh come on. A guy tells you he pretty much wants to bend you backwards over his desk and you're still complaining?"

Katniss glared at her, yanking her purse off the table in the staff room. "Don't say crap like that."

"Why not? It's true. Why do you think I set this up? You're the worst liar I've ever seen, and I've had to put up with his puppy dog glances towards you all semester."

"Puppy dog glances?" Katniss repeated.

Madge sighed, and her voice gentled. "I should have known you wouldn't have noticed.  Kat, I wouldn't have done that on Saturday night if I didn't think it was worth it. He's made it clear to you he's interested, even though it's been obvious to me for a long while. I just.....I want you to be happy."

"I am happy," Katniss argued, though it seemed feeble to her own ears. "You're just in that newlywed glow and you want everyone to be the same."

Madge glanced down at the shiny gold band that rested beside her engagement ring, a new addition only a month old, and shrugged. "So? It's good, Kat, real good. Don't let your own family stuff put you off from Peeta."

"You make it sound like he's The One or some crap like that," Katniss sighed.

"Maybe he is," Madge winked. She glanced at the clock, and slipped her own bag over her shoulder. "We'd better get to class, Miss Everdeen. Wouldn't want to be late. Who knows what kind of punishments teachers hand out lately." She winked, and walked out; Katniss rolled her eyes and followed her.

********

Over the week, school continued as normal. Buzz for the premier of the school play was at fever pitch, and if you didn't already have a ticket, then you were damn well out of luck. Katniss tried to fall back into the easy rhythm of interacting with Peeta, but the more she spoke to him, the more his words from over dinner seemed to play on her mind, and the more she realised there was no way they could go back to the way they had been.

_And who the hell was so upfront about getting someone naked, over dinner, in a public restaurant anyway? No wonder she was so frazzled._

"Hey Miss Everdeen!" Rue had stopped in front of her in the middle of the busy hallway, although Katniss had barely noticed.

"Hey Rue," she replied, shaking her head and telling herself she was just being stupid. "Nervous about Saturday?"

Rue grinned, and fell into step beside Katniss. "Nah. Miss Jones has done a great job, plus the sets look awesome, which means the whole show will look awesome. Mr M is the shit, really. Oh!" She flushed, and raised a hand to her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that!"

Katniss laughed. "It's ok, Rue. You're 16. I'm pretty certain you let loose with a couple of choice words when you want to. Just try to keep it to a minimum at school, ok?"

"Sure thing," Rue agreed. The bell rang, loud and shrilly. "Ugh, I have math now with Mr Thread. Man, that guy is a _douche_."

Katniss couldn't help but laugh again. "I'll see you later, Rue. Don't be late to class." She kept grinning to herself as the young girl scooted off, as the halls emptied. She was thankful, right now, for a free period.

Walking into the teachers’ lounge, she avoided the coffee, instead plugging a couple of quarters into the machine for a coke. She sipped on it as she stared out the window onto the open courtyard, and vaguely thought about the exams she still needed to grade, the leak on her car that needed checking out, the bolt she needed to install on the door leading to the balcony at home.

Anything but Peeta, really. She didn't have time for that.

********

_Pros:_

_Cute_

_Funny_

_Nice_

_Hot_

_Charming_

_Friendly_

_Good teacher_

_Smart_

_Can talk, not just grunt_

_Doesn't grope waitresses_

_His kisses_

_Cons:_

_Teacher_

_Young_

_Co-worker_

_Has a stupid dimple_

_Smile is too perfect_

_Those dumb blue eyes_

_The way he rolls his sleeves up_

_His ass_

"Gah!!" Katniss crumpled the ball of paper up into a ball, throwing it towards her coffee table, where it landed in the middle of a bunch of flowers Prim had sent her. She groaned, but couldn't be bothered to get up and remove it.

A pros and cons list - Madge's latest idea to help her get her shit together after a week of unsuccessfully trying to stop thinking of the guy - wasn't working. All it did was make her think of Peeta even more, and in the end the entire list read more like a tick box for her ideal guy. It pissed her off deluxe, and had royally ruined her quiet Friday night at home. She'd never wanted something like this, was quite happy on her own, and looked forward to the day she was ready to buy a kitten and become a cat lady of sorts.

_(No she wasn't. Who was she kidding?)_

With a sigh of frustration, she pulled herself off the couch and headed for the shower. Maybe she could drown the thoughts out.

********

The next night, she was cursing herself for agreeing to sit with other teachers for the opening of the play. Madge, well she was fine, because she was mostly preoccupied with smoothing an errant hair that kept falling over her new husband's forehead. Chantel Lyme, the economics teacher, was perfectly pleasant as well, but she was sitting two seats away, so Katniss couldn't really speak to her anyway.

If she was honest, it was just Clove sitting beside her, and her incessant nattering that was driving her insane. If she had to hear one more time about how she couldn't wait to try on wedding dresses, she was certain she was going to punch the woman. And because she actually did want to sit here and watch the play, she had to grit her teeth and clutch onto her knees like her life depended on it. Katniss didn't exactly want to be the first teacher kicked off school grounds for fighting.

_But dammit, if Clove didn't shut up in about 2.5 seconds....._

Thankfully, the lights began to dim and an almost haunting instrumental piece of music floated from the speakers. The curtain rose and Katniss forgot all about Clove in an instant.

********

"And then Cato said if I really wanted 6 bridesmaids, then he was ok with that. I mean, I don't even know if I want 6 - my sister is a little bitch and serves her right if I don't pick her, but...."

Katniss glanced at Madge, who rolled her eyes and tucked her hand into Gale's. Clove had started on her wedding tirade the minute the theatre lights rose and they began filing out. Katniss didn't even get to digest the ending of the play, or consider the lump that had inadvertently risen in her throat as the lead female basically screwed over the boy who was so in love with her. Even while she was thinking how wrong the girl was, a little voice inside her was saying _but you'd do the same thing_.

But no, she was listening to Clove again, and she had to cut loose before she lost her shit. "Uh, guys? I know I said I'd come for coffee or whatever, but I'm kind of beat. I might just head home if that's ok?"

"Aw, but Katniss, I wanted to talk to you about good flowers for my wedding!"

_Kill me now. Who was this Clove? Give her the bitchy, eye-rolling version any day._

"Sorry Clove. Maybe next time?" _Maybe never?_   She turned to Madge and Gale, who were both glaring at her, and Chantel, who was typing away frantically on her phone. "Is that ok guys?"

"Sure, Katniss," Madge replied through clenched teeth. "I'd hate for you to feel any worse."

Katniss crossed her eyes at Madge, earning a chuckle from Gale, and nodded her head. "Thanks guys. I appreciate it. Nothing an early night in bed won't fix." She waved goodbye and walked to the other end of the car park, where her old car was parked.

And old was the operative word when the damn thing groaned and sighed and chugged and refused to start up. She thumped her head against the steering wheel and screamed. This was the last thing she needed. Stuck in the school car park in the middle of the night, home a half an hour hike away and she was wearing ill-advised (by Madge) pumps. Shit.

She knew she should have got the leak seen to.

With a frustrated moan, she shoved open her door and yanked the keys out of the ignition, dropping them on the seat and stalking around to the hood.  She popped it open and stared at it, realising she had no idea what she was doing. Cars were definitely not her thing.

"Car trouble?" His voice melted out of the darkness like chocolate and dammit, she cursed the frisson that danced down her spine. Katniss half turned to see Peeta, hand in his pocket, backpack slung over one shoulder. He was in jeans, a plain white t-shirt, with a dark blue and red checked flannel shirt left open. Probably more comfortable when racing around backstage, she mused, though if she was honest it really wasn't the first thing she thought of when she looked at him in it.

_Focus, Katniss!_

"How'd you guess?" She retorted, and hated how petulant she sounded. "Maybe I just like chilling in the car park at 11 at night."

Peeta laughed, dropping his bag to the asphalt and peering down into the engine beside her. "The fact you just said 'chilling in the car park' says it all."

"Am I too old to say that kind of stuff?"

He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Don't pull the age crap, Katniss. We've already established how little that matters to anything." He pushed the sleeves of his shirt up even higher over his elbows, and leant over the hood. "Ah, shit. The light from the moon is good, but not good enough for this." He pulled his phone out from his pocket and found the flashlight app, aiming it into the engine. She could instantly see the faint wisps of smoke rising from a hose, the water bubbling from it slowly but steadily.

"Uh yeah. Well that doesn't look like something either of us can fix right now. I can take you home if you like, and you can call Triple A in the morning?" Peeta offered.

Katniss sighed. "Yeah, ok. I guess."

"Or, you know, I could just leave you here," he replied easily. Katniss opened her mouth to retort indignantly, but then she caught the smirk, the unsuccessful biting of his lip, in the faint light of the moon.

"You're such a smart ass," she complained, and he laughed.

"You're such an easy target, Katniss," he replied.  He stepped towards her, shoving his phone and his hands in his pockets. "Would you like me to take you home?"

"Yes please," she said quietly. She froze as his hand reached out, swept gently across her cheek.

"You had...some dirt or oil or something," he told her. She nodded numbly, unable to move or think as his hand slipped into her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "I guess we'd better go, huh?"  She nodded again, not trusting her mouth. _She probably wouldn't be able to form a coherent sentence anyway._

Peeta stepped back, reaching for his bag, and slinging it back over his shoulder. He unhooked the slim rod that held the hood up, dropping it down with a gentle thud. Katniss moved around him quickly, reaching into the car and yanking her purse out, and grabbed the keys from her seat. Her eyes locked on Peeta in her rear-view mirror, watching as his eyes travelled down, down...

She couldn't help the rush of pleasure or the snort that begged to escape when she realised he was staring at her ass.

She cleared her throat and straightened, turning and closing the door. She locked it, then tossed her keys into the purse. Peeta tipped his head to the left and led her to his car, a blue Prius; he pressed the button to unlock it, and she quickly got in the passenger side before he got the crazy idea to open the door for her or something.

“By the way,” she said as he slid into his seat.  “The play was great.”

He threw a smile in her direction.  “Thanks.  I’m thrilled with how it went.  Now how about that address?”

She murmured it to him, and he nodded, driving through the streets in comfortable silence. She was thankful for it. Her brain was already full of noise and jumbled thoughts and feelings.

_She both loved and hated being this close to him._

********

"I have that Nespresso stuff. Or tea. Or iced tea. Or coke," Katniss called, sticking her head in the fridge and perusing the contents. She closed her eyes.

_Oh god, what had she done? She'd invited him in for coffee._

_Oh god._

"Tea would be good. Milk, no sugar. Thanks," he said from behind her. She nodded, and shut the door, flicking the switch on for the kettle.

"I, uh, I'm just going to put my purse away," she mumbled, and slid around him. "You can take a seat in the lounge if you like." Katniss heard him hum in assent and moved down the short hallway to her bedroom, throwing her purse on her bed, before dropping beside it and bracing her head in her hands. Everything inside her buzzed and snapped and sparked being this close to him. It was ridiculous. She thought things and felt things and said things she didn't understand, wasn't completely comfortable with, whenever she was within 5 metres of Peeta. She just needed to get through half an hour tops of tea and conversation, then he could be on his way and she could go back to dreaming about him and not thinking about his comments in the restaurant while he sat in her kitchen.

With a sigh she pushed herself off the bed, kicking off the offending heels into the corner of her room. She tugged on the hem of her shirt, walking back towards her small living room.

And stopped short when she saw Peeta leaning against the arm of the couch, one leg crossed casually in front of the other, a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.  And a shit eating grin on his face.

"Nooooooo," she groaned.

********

"I can't decide whether you like my sleeves rolled up or not," he said matter of factly. "Or whether my stupid dimple is going to cause you to eventually turn me down."

Katniss scowled at him, reaching over and ripping the piece of paper from his hands. "What the hell, Peeta? And who says this is about you anyway?"

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "I was just going to put it in the bin. I didn't think it belonged in a bunch of flowers."

"Fine. But who says this is about you?" She shot the offending - _mortifying!_ \- piece of paper into the wire wastebasket that sat beside the tv unit.

"I think it's pretty obvious. Unless you've gone on a date with another young teacher with blue eyes from our school recently."

Katniss rolled her eyes, pushing past him and stomping into the kitchen. She yanked the cupboard above her head open, pulled two mugs from it and slammed them on the counter. She started as she felt his hand enclose hers, and helped her to close the cupboard gently.

"Don't be mad at me, Katniss. Or with yourself," he said quietly as he guided her hand back to the counter. He turned, opened the drawer and pulled out a teaspoon, grabbed the milk from the fridge and placed it beside the hand she was desperately trying to stop from trembling.  She couldn't look at him as she dumped in the tea bags, poured the hot water into the mugs, and finished them with the milk. She slid his across the counter towards him, and picked hers up, raising it to her face like a shield as she finally looked up at him.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," she started. "It was just…personal.  You just weren't meant to see that."

"I don't suppose I was," he agreed. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to; but I did. Tell me, Katniss. Did the pros outweigh the cons?"

"You saw the cons," she snorted, her face colouring. "They were pretty pitiful."

"I dunno. They might be legitimate cons," he shrugged. "Why were you writing that anyway?"

Katniss sighed, sipping at the tea. She winced - she normally liked at least a little sugar, but really couldn't be bothered - before swallowing. "You sure you want to know?"

"Honesty = best policy," Peeta said simply.

"Madge suggested it so I could stop thinking about you," she muttered quickly

He smiled, sipping at his own tea. "You forget I'm a teacher, Katniss. I speak Rushed Mumble." He shrugged, eyeing her carefully. "Is it such a bad thing to be mildly interested in me?"

"No," Katniss replied honestly. "It is if I'm more than mildly interested."

He raised an eyebrow, setting his mug on the counter and taking the three steps towards her. He stopped barely a hairsbreadth away, his arms resting on either side of her on the counter and effectively blocking her in. She could smell him, that same delicious scent that had invaded her senses back in his classroom.

_Breathe, Katniss, breathe._

"I don't want to rush you, Katniss. I want you not to be worried enough by me that you feel like you need to do a pros and cons list. And while I'm kind of flattered," he grinned, that stupid dimple so prominent on her list staring her in the face, "I'll be more flattered the day you tell me you want me. No pros, no cons, no lists."

"I....I can't think when you're near me," she admitted, and glanced away. He raised his hand, his fingers gently resting under her chin and turning her back to face him.

"That's a good start," he said. "I generally can't think around you either." His lips were so close, she thought. So close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. His lips barely brushed against the corner of her mouth before he stepped back, arms dropping limply to his sides. "I should go. But I want to take you to dinner, Katniss. A proper date this time, where we both know about it before hand. What do you say?"

She looked over at him, still trying to shake the feeling of him being so close. _He was serious. 100% seriously interested in her._  She nodded almost dumbly.

"Sounds good. Next Friday. But first I'll see you Monday at school." She nodded again, and he smiled. "I'll let myself out. Oh, and by the way? Your kisses would make my pros list too. Sweet dreams, Katniss."

She listened to his footsteps down the hall, and the door as it closed behind him, before sagging against the counter.

_Sweet freaking dreams indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as it seems with everything I write at the moment, one-shots won't leave me alone. This will end up having a couple of chapters ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss ran, every breath she inhaled slicing down her throat like shards of glass, the cool morning air piercing her lungs.  It didn’t bother her, just made her run faster, push herself harder, until her limbs felt like jelly and her chest ached like a bitch.

But she had to do it.  Anything, _anything,_ to get her mind off the embarrassment of Peeta finding her list last night. Even the buffer of a few hours sleep hadn’t been enough to drag the mortification out of her - or ease the gnawing ache that had settled low in her belly and refused to abate.

She slowed to a jog as she made one final turn around the schools’ track, watching as the fog that had shrouded the fields slowly began to dissipate.  It was one of her favourite times of day - when half the town was still asleep, the sun was barely peeking over the mountains that provided such a picturesque backdrop to the school, and she was alone.  Blissfully alone, with no students, no parents, no hot art teachers to distract her.

_Yeah, ok, so the art teacher part was a total lie, because he was definitely distracting her._

Katniss was still amazed she hadn’t completely scared him off with her stupid list.  But, she supposed, it said something for him that he hadn’t run off screaming into the night.  Even if he was attracted to her, and was interested in pursuing something with her, she’d expected it to be a completely different thing to find a list of faults about yourself from the person you claimed to want.  Apparently that wasn’t the case.

And not that they were even faults, so he really had no cause to complain anyway, she sighed to herself as she bent over to stretch out her calf.  The muscles were warm and loose from the run, which had been exactly her idea when she’d found herself wide awake at 5am on a morning she normally allowed to be her only sleep-in a week. 

He'd probably gotten a kick out of seeing a list of things she obviously couldn’t get her mind off of, she thought, switching to her other leg.  Which was stupid, because she didn’t want them on her mind in the first place, let alone lingering long enough to be put on a con list.

 _Li-arrrrrrr!_ The little voice in her head sing-songed.

She stamped her foot in annoyance at herself, then stalked over to the railing that she’d hung her jacket over.  Slipping it on, she made for the carpark, where her pitiful car waited for her.  It was past 6am; surely AAA would come now so she could at least get it to outside the mechanics.

Reaching into the pocket of her jacket for her phone, she pulled it out, selecting the emergency number she’d pre-programmed into it a long time ago - it was always second, right behind Prim’s - and waited patiently for the operator to answer. 5 minutes later she was on the hood, prepared to wait the 20 minutes she’d been advised.  With nothing to do but wait, Peeta’s words to her over the last couple of weeks played out in her head.

_“I'll be more flattered the day you tell me you want me. No pros, no cons, no lists.”_

_“All I've been able to think about is you, on my desk, under me.  Or over me.”_

_“I’ve wanted you for so long, I’ve wanted to tell you for ages.”_

This was just stupid, she thought, clenching her arms tightly around her raised knees, her pulse tripping at the memories.  She’d never ever had a reaction to a guy like this, not even to her ex-fiance.  That had been….a mistake, she admitted, a university relationship that had dragged on for too long, and had gone that far because it was ‘expected’ of them.  But he’d never made her heart jump that little bit faster, had never made her imagine stripping his clothes off in the middle of a school classroom, and she’d certainly never made a pro and con list for him.

All of which made her question her sanity.  And remember how long it had been since she got laid.

With a sigh, she dropped her head onto her knees.  Damned Peeta Mellark and his smiley-smiles and his dimples.  They were going to be the death of her.

********

“Katniss, you need to buy another dress.”

“What?  Why?”

“Why?  I am going to take a wild guess and say that on the ‘blind date’,” Madge raised her fingers in air quotes to emphasise the fake blind date, “You wore the green jersey.  Which is a great dress, don’t get me wrong.  But I know that’s your one and only date dress, and you can’t wear it again.”

Madge had a point; it was one she’d known all week, but had studiously ignored.  She’d kind of hoped Peeta would just take her to Burger King or something, and she could get away with jeans.

“I know, but-”

“And he’s not going to take you to a burger joint, Katniss, so don’t even say jeans to me, ok?”

Katniss scowled.  “Bitch,” she retorted with little heat.  There was no-one - save Prim - who could see through her better than Madge. 

Madge laughed.  “Kat, I know you, and I know that’s exactly what you were thinking.  Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Liar.” Madge smirked, crumpling the wrapper from her now-eaten sandwich, and tossing it towards the bin.  Having an athletic husband had done jack shit for her coordination, and it missed by a mile. Katniss eyed it disdainfully, promising herself one day she'd teach Madge how to aim.  “Now, after work, we’re gonna go shopping.  And we are going to find you the hottest dress you can buy, that says ‘Oh Peeta, you’re so hot and I want you’, as well as ‘I’m a lady, treat me like one please’.”

Katniss rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped.  “God, how does Gale ever go shopping with you?” she wondered.

Madge smirked.  “Because I go to Victoria’s Secret while we’re out, duh.”  She raised an eyebrow.  “Maybe we should go there on our shopping adventure too.”

“Maybe you should quit while you’re ahead,” Katniss warned.  She sighed, then glanced at the clock.  She knew, with absolute certainty, that because she was going shopping and it was the last thing she wanted to do, her afternoon classes would fly by.  And she was right.

In no time at all, school had finished, Madge had dragged her around the mall, and now she was home, a half dozen bags on her lounge, full of things she wondered if she’d ever even use after this dumb date.  She grabbed a beer from her fridge, propping herself up on the kitchen counter and staring out at the offending evidence of her shopping trip.  The dress Madge had eyed immediately was spot on, she had to admit.  A soft wrap dress that fell just above her knee, the v-neckline flattering but not too booby, and that complimented her slim figure.  The various shades of orange and cream in the geometric pattern were warm against her olive skin, and she had to agree that the nude pumps Madge had practically forced her to buy - _another damned pair of heels_ \- would look perfect with it.  She’d drawn the line at Victoria’s Secret though.  There was no way Peeta would see anyone’s secret on Friday night, let alone Victoria’s.

New make-up - which Madge swore would help with her shitty attempts at applying eyeliner - had found their way onto her credit card, and an amber and bone-coloured bracelet was her one concession to jewellery.  After that purchase, Katniss had firmly announced that that was it.  Take it or leave it, she was done shopping; this was as good as it was going to get for her date.  She just had two more days to stress about it, that was all.

She took a long, hard pull from the beer.

********

“I hope you like the restaurant I’ve picked.” The voice was low, and tickled the skin on her neck from where a mouth was pressed closely to her ear.  Katniss jumped and whirled around, having to bite her lip from expelling a screech that would have put a bunch of her female students spotting a spider to shame.  She held a hand to her speeding heart to see Peeta standing there - in the middle of her lab, no less - a grin on his face, and a textbook tucked under his arm.  Her skin still prickled from the warmth of his breath.

“Dammit, Peeta, you scared the shit out of me,” she accused.  Her heart pounded, but she couldn’t look at him, not right now, and instead turned back to the microscope she’d been looking through.   Root samples that one of the kids had brought in had kept her occupied for the last hour, though she knew it was well past 4pm, and she really needed to go home.  Especially now.

“Sorry.  But I couldn’t help myself,” he apologised, though he didn’t sound it in the slightest.  “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“What’s so surprising?  You’re still here too,” she muttered, eyes fixed through the scope.

“Well, yeah, some of the set needed a bit of a touchup after last Saturday.  Got the final two shows this weekend.”

“Mmm-hmmm.”

“And I had to walk past here from the auditorium, happened to catch a glimpse of you through the window…”

“You always happen to catch a glimpse of me through that window, Mellark?” she asked, raising her eyes to him, and her eyebrow with it.

He had the grace to glance away, and then shrugged.  “Call it what you want, Everdeen,” he replied in a similar tone. 

She snorted, then glanced back at the samples she’d been working on.  “Ugh, I can’t focus on this anymore,” she sighed.  “I may as well go home.” She felt his eyes on her as she methodically packed up the equipment.

“Oh, you got your car sorted?” Peeta asked, and she faltered at his question.  The few times they’d bumped into each other in the halls this week, it had been awkward and forced - on her side, he could talk until he was blue in the face - and simple chatter about school projects.  Not her car.

“Dammit,” she muttered more to herself.  She’d forgotten she still didn’t have it back.  She’d caught a lift with Madge for the first half of the week, then had had the impromptu shopping trip, but had turned her down today, her mind on her work and not even thinking of the fact her bomb of a car was still in with Brutus.  _Crap_.  “Ah, no.  I was just going to walk home today.”  A quick glance at her feet made her sigh in relief at the comfortable flats she wore.

“You sure?  I can give you a lift-”

“No!” She practically screamed it, before she took a deep breath, and stored the equipment away.  “No, thank you.  A walk will do me good.  Get some fresh air, you know?  I like being outdoors, and I don’t get to nearly enough being inside most of the day.”  She looked up at him, to see that his face had fallen.  _Shit.  He looked like a kid who’d had his candy taken away._   “I’m not trying to be...difficult or anything, Peeta.  I’m seriously happy walking. Walking home at 4.30 in the afternoon is a little different to walking home late at night.  And anyway, uh, we have dinner tomorrow night, remember?  Why use up all that awkward car conversation today when we can save it for then?”

He smirked, and she knew she had him back.  “You’re right. Awkward conversation is going to be a great way to start the date.  A 7pm pick up from your place is good?  Just in case I don’t catch you between classes tomorrow?”

“7pm is good,” she confirmed.  “I, uh, I’ll see you then.”

“See you then, Katniss,” he agreed smoothly, before turning and walking back out of her classroom door.  He tossed a wink back over his shoulder as he went.

_The little shit._

********

_It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine._

Ding-dong!

_Holy crap._

Katniss took a deep breath, and had one more glance in the mirror. She didn't look too bad at all, even if she did say so herself, and had to begrudgingly admit the makeup had been a good decision.  Again. Dammit, what the hell did she do with her dating life before Madge had infiltrated it?

_Oh that's right.  Failed miserably._

Ding-dong!

"Gah!" She turned - carefully - on her heels, trotting awkwardly down the hall towards the front door. She peered through the peephole first, just to confirm it was Peeta. Fighting the urge to bite her lip self-consciously, she slowly opened the door. He grinned, and didn't hide the fact his eyes slid from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

"Katniss, you look....radiant," he told her. "And in my favourite colour no less."

 _Oh for fucks sake, Madge,_ Katniss hissed in her head, but managed to keep the scowl from her face.

"Ah thanks. You look pretty damn good yourself," she replied, and she wasn't lying. Dark jeans that looked like they had been made specifically for him, a white button up shirt, and a slim cut blazer made him look like a damn catalogue model. She vaguely wondered why he was at her door.

"Thanks. I brought you these." He pulled his arm from around his back, holding out a bunch of bright yellow sunflowers. "I didn't know what you liked, and that bunch of flowers you had inside were a mixed bunch..." he coughed as Katniss blushed at the thought of what else had been with those flowers, then continued. "But I got these because...well they reminded me of you."

"Huh?"

"Sunflowers.  They reminded me of- oh never mind. I can wait here if you want to put them in water or something?"

Katniss nodded, almost closing the door in his face to go back into her apartment before she stopped herself. She moved quickly down the hall, grabbing the vase Prim's flowers had once rested in, filling it with water and dumping the bright, happy looking flowers into it. She wrinkled her nose - a sunflower she certainly didn't think she was - grabbed her purse and went back out to him, where he was leaning against the wall, humming decidedly off-key.

"Ready," she muttered, closing the door behind her and locking it securely. "And thanks for the flowers."

"No problem," he replied with a grin. She didn't utter a word when he rested a hand on the small of her back to guide her to the elevator bank.

********

At first the car ride was, indeed, awkward.  Just as she’d predicted.

He let her pick the station as soon as they got in, and gave a slight nod of approval as she stopped on a Mumford and Sons track.  Then silence had reigned as they’d both listened to the song, both waiting for the other to start the conversation.  And as Katniss had rarely willingly started a conversation in her life, the ball was most definitely in Peeta’s court.

“So, uh…..” he trailed off, then laughed.  “Shit, this is awkward, just like you said.”

“Hmmm-hmm,” she murmured.  “I’m good at calling things like that.”

He chuckled again. “So, uh, anything exciting happen this week?”

“Nope.”

“Want to hear about mine?”

“I suppose.” _God, what was wrong with her? Oh thats right, a man who smelt like heaven was sitting on the other side of the console and she’d obviously left her brain at her front door._

She listened as he told her about the preparations for the final couple of performances of the play, and how one of his students had practically broken down in tears expressing her love of renaissance paintings as part of a presentation. Which Katniss found a little weird, but he thought was amazing, so she let him run with it.

He continued to talk, and though she listened, she started staring out the window at the passing landscape.  They were well out of town now, and her brow furrowed, confused _.  Where the hell was he taking her?_

“Uh, where the hell are you taking me?” She blurted, in the middle of him telling her about his upcoming sculpture unit with his tenth graders.  She turned to him expectantly.

“I’m not a serial killer, I promise,” Peeta said earnestly.  “I just….got the feeling you’d want to steer clear of somewhere that might be frequented by people from school.  I mean, not that I’m embarrassed by us or whatever, but….”

He trailed off, but she couldn’t get her mind to move past us.

“No, no, that’s good.  You’re right.  I mean, this is just a date.  We don’t want people to get the wrong idea or anything, right?”

“Right,” he agreed.  “And anyway, the food here is the bomb, so I had to pick it.”

Katniss snorted, then looked back out the window again.  “I can’t believe you just said “the bomb”.”

“”I can’t believe you thought I was saying it seriously,” he laughed, and she turned back, noticing the twinkle in his eyes.

“You ass,” she muttered. He chuckled again, but let the conversation lag, driving the rest of the way in silence.  Finally, outside a pretty stone building with fairy lights in the trees lining the drive and a wrought iron trellis surrounding the outside patio on the second floor, he pulled the car to a stop.

With her heart in her throat, she suddenly realised this wasn’t an official first date for him.  It was an _official first date_.  And she felt the weight of pressure rest on her shoulders, because she wasn’t good with those.  Those were ones that ended with sweet kisses at the door, and his jacket over her shoulders from the cold. _Shiiiiit._  

“I’m starved,” she announced, working hard to keep the nerves out of her voice, and stepped out of the car.  “Let’s see just how good this food is.”

********

It was, in short, amazing.  The minute she’d stepped inside she knew she was in food heaven, the smell of meats and spices and a million different other flavours she couldn’t even begin to place. The food listed in the menu had made her mouth water, and she’d had to refrain from ordering everything listed. He’d said she could, but she knew she risked vomiting all over his nice upholstery if she had. The jambalaya had, in the end, been enough for her.

Though she hadn’t been able to turn down the powdery beignets and coffee that now sat between them.

“Ok, ok, you’re right.  The food here is the bomb,” Katniss acquiesced, borrowing his phrase from earlier.  Actually, she’d had to admit to herself, the whole night had been.  The initial nerves she’d had when they arrived had dissipated the moment they’d sat down and he’d begun chatting with her just like he had at their last dinner.  They'd talked about school, what shows they'd watched that week, and for the first time, tentatively ventured into the area of their families. It was almost like he had this uncanny ability to settle her, to calm her, to make her feel…..safe.

It was super, super odd.

He snickered. "You know I'm never going to get tired of teasing you, right? At least not until you admit age isn't an issue."

"And what if I said it wasn't?"

"I'd say you were just saying that to stop me teasing you."

She stuck her tongue out, then immediately blushed, realising how immature it probably was. "Alright, alright, fine." She picked up one of the beignets and bit into it, relishing the taste. "So anyway, tell me how on earth I remind you of sunflowers?"

He shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee before answering. "Well, at first you seem kind of enclosed, almost like you want to hide and you don't want anyone to see you. But then there's something that inspires you, or makes you happy and you just kind of...open up. Like sunflowers do when they see the sun. You know? You'll scowl and be all grumpy - which is kind of a turn on, I'm not going to lie - but then you'll smile and everything about you lights up. Like when you interact with Rue. Or when you talked about your sister before. You're as proud as hell of her, and it shows."

Katniss was frozen, her cup suspended in mid-air after she'd begun raising it to her lips. No one, ever, had described her that way.

"Ah shit," Peeta groaned, "And now I've totally scared you off." He went to put his cup back on the table, but misjudged, spilling the rest of its contents on the sleeve of his blazer. "Oh god, like this could get any worse! I'm ruining everything!" He fumbled with the cup, finally managing to put it back on the flat surface. He began shrugging the jacket off, the strong dark liquid seeping quickly into the fabric.

Katniss watched as he yanked it off, and began rubbing at the stain with his napkin; as his lips firmed and his jaw tensed, she realised it was the first time she'd seen him that frustrated. She placed her own cup down - carefully - before the first snort of laughter escaped.  He glanced up at her, frowning. This time it was a giggle that came loose, one that was decidedly girly, and didn't sound like her at all. She held her breath, willing the laugh that threatened to explode from her to abate.

"What?" Peeta complained.

"N-n-nothing," Katniss managed to gasp out, then she couldn't stop it. The laugh was low, full bodied, and came out of her in waves.  "Oh god, Peeta, you should see your face! You look so worried, and it's only a little coffee! It's ok - you haven't ruined anything." Her laugh slowed, until it was more like an errant hiccup. "It'll come out, trust me. Just...don't worry."

He glanced from her, to the jacket, and back at her again before nodding and dumping it on the back of his chair. "Sorry. I just...I was worried I'd freaked you out or something."

Katniss glanced back down at her hands, trying to merge the confident guy who had picked her up at her door, with the one who had told her ridiculous stories of his brothers over dinner, with this one, the one who was terrified he'd offended her by comparing her to a flower. It was kind of intriguing, knowing there were so many layers to Peeta Mellark. She looked up at him, almost shyly.

"You didn't offend me. I was just surprised, is all. I don't hear things like that very often."

"Then you've obviously been speaking to the wrong people," he replied. Peeta glanced at his watch, and sighed.  "I'm sorry. It's late, and we still have to get home. Tomorrow is going to be a big, big day." He mimicked the dulcet tones of the schools administrator, Ms Trinket, who began every single one of her loudspeaker announcements with the same catchphrase.

Katniss laughed, amazed by the fact he could bounce back from being so worried and frustrated one minute, to calm and joking the next.  "Sure, I figured it would be. At least after this weekend, it's done and you've got your afternoons and weekends back, right?"

Peeta leant back in his chair, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows now that it was free of the constraint of his blazer. "Yep. Plenty of free time. Got any ideas of how I can spend it?" He tipped up one corner of his mouth, his eyebrow almost involuntarily raising with it.

_Oh. Ohhhhhhh._

"Um. Ahem. Er...." Katniss trailed off, pursing her lips, heart racing as she thought of exactly how she'd like him to spend it. Then she brightened. "I could show you how to shoot a bow and arrow!"

It was almost comical the way his lip dropped. "Archery?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah! I help teach it at school for a semester every year. My dad taught me as a kid. What do you say?”

Peeta eyed her warily until his features settled, and he nodded, before pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. "Ok Katniss, deal. Once I'm finished with the play, you can show me how to... shoot."

Somehow the way he said it didn't seem anywhere near as innocent as she'd meant it.

********

The drive home was quiet, an evening full of good food, wine and company obviously mellowing Peeta out. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel with whatever song was on the radio.

It was a shame Katniss couldn't relax with him.

She'd been a ball of nerves since they'd left the restaurant. She couldn't place it, but everything about him, right now, as of this moment, made her fingertips feel like they were electrified, made her head light and her thoughts fuzzy.

She folded her hands in her lap, barely able to keep her eyes on the road, or on the darkened valley beside them.  No, they kept drifting to his side of the car, and the way his hair curled over his collar, and the small dimple that was showing in his cheek and the way his forearms looked with the way his damned sleeves were rolled up. How strong and firm and…... in that moment, she knew.

_So bloody sneaky._

“Mellark, you bastard,” she accused, whirling as best she could in her seat to face him.  “Your sleeves!  You’re using my damned list to your advantage, aren’t you?” She waited for him to respond, but he said nothing, just kept his eyes on the road. Then he slid them over to her, very carefully, and the answering grin was slow and sly.

“Caught me.  Is it working yet?”

She scowled at him, folding her arms angrily across her body.  "You don't need to remind me of it all the time, you know," she muttered. "It's embarrassing.  Am I ever going to be allowed to forget it?" She hated the fact that her voice cracked at the end of her sentence.

She jolted as the car slowed, pulled onto the shoulder of the road, and stopped. "Katniss, I was only joking," Peeta said quietly, turning to her, lightly touching her shoulder to get her to face him. "Well, kind of. Rolling my sleeves up is almost like a habit. I didn't even think when I did it in the restaurant. But then I remembered your list and...well...I guess I thought why the hell not? I've got to work things to my advantage somehow." He reached up tentatively, almost like he had in the school carpark, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "And we're even ok? I'm pretty sure I said some embarrassing shit in the restaurant."

"Comparing me to a flower isn't embarrassing," she countered.

"Telling you your scowl turns me on is," he replied, turning the keys in the ignition and letting the engine rumble to life. "Just like that little line between your eyebrows right now. Damn if it doesn't."

She felt the constant, little nagging squiggle in her stomach flare into something that burned, that spread from her belly to the tips of her fingers, to her breastbone, to the base of her throat. The basic want enveloped her like a cloud, and it took everything inside of her to stop from climbing over onto him and making fast work of his shirt. And his pants.  And the rest of him.  She'd never been one to want to make out in the backseat of a car.

At least she hadn't been, she thought, until she met Peeta Mellark.

Katniss swallowed awkwardly and let him put the car into drive, as he smoothly went back to tapping on the wheel, his other hand resting on the console. It took another 5 minutes of agonising deliberation before she tentatively rested her hand beside his, curling her pinkie around his own. She caught the edge of a smile creep onto his face.

They drove the rest of the way in silence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm having a lot of fun writing this - I hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

Rain fell, a gentle spring drizzle that wasn’t heavy enough to warrant Katniss to bother closing the car window.  She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of it against the wet grass as Peeta navigated the way through the back roads towards home.  The tension that had filled the car after their conversation had mellowed, and they hadn’t spoken much during the remainder of the drive. Peeta had quietly hummed along with the radio while Katniss had tried to bite back a smile at how tone deaf he was.  It was kind of endearing, in a screeching cat kind of way.  

Peeta turned the corner onto District Avenue, and the car slowed to a stop a few metres from outside the front of her apartment building, the engine idling quietly.   Katniss felt her semi-permanent butterflies make themselves at home in her stomach again, and the braveness she'd shown when first linking her pinkie with Peeta’s over the console evaporated almost immediately.  "So, uh, thanks for dinner," Katniss mumbled, snatching her hand back from his quickly, toying with the hem of her dress.

"Katniss you wouldn't even let me pay for all of it, so you don't need to thank me," he reminded her, shifting so that his back partially rested against his door. "But you can thank me for a great date, if you like."

She snorted - she couldn't help it - and a small smile played across her lips. "Ok. Thanks for a good date, Peeta."

"Humph," he grumbled. "I said great, but whatever. If it was only 'good', I guess it'll do."  She knew he was joking, liked the fact that she was slowly but surely picking up those intonations in his voice.

"So needy," she quipped without even thinking, and she popped open the door, hopping out. She went to lean back through the partially opened passenger window, but paused as Peeta turned the ignition off and slid out of his own seat, closing his door behind him. "What are you doing?" She asked.  “It’s raining.”

"Hardly,” he countered.  “And anyway, my dad always taught me to walk my dates to their front door. Manners and all that." He moved around the hood, then gestured towards the sidewalk that led to the buildings' front door.

"Not your mom?" She asked, and followed him with a shrug.

"Definitely not my mom," he replied, and Katniss realised he'd never once mentioned her in any of their conversations, not during dinner, not during lunches at school.

_Oops. A stone better left unturned at this stage,_ she thought.

She didn't say anything in reply, just alternated between looking towards her building and side-eying him - in a good way. She felt less guilty this way than if she stared at him straight out – though it was a little disconcerting that that was _exactly_ what she wanted to do. Get close enough that she could see the flutter of his lashes - the palest blonde she'd ever seen - against his cheeks. She'd thought about those eyelashes a lot since the time he'd cornered her in her kitchen, when he'd-

"Earth to Katniss?"

Katniss blushed as she realised they'd reached her front door, and Peeta had been talking to her without reply. "Ah shit. Sorry. Spaced out."  She stepped under the small awning, and out of the rain.

He grinned again, and she wondered if he was fully aware of her possibly-not-so-subtle staring and was just playing with her.  "It's ok. I was just saying that I’m really looking forward to our next date.”

She felt her ankle wobble, and wasn’t sure if it was from the heels or Peeta’s words.  “Uh, sure.”

“Don’t sound so excited,” he joked.  She was surprised to see the hint of vulnerability in his eyes that didn’t entirely match his tone.  She sighed, and looked down at her feet before glancing back up at him.

“No, I am,” she said softly.  “It’s just….weird for me.  Dating.  Or whatever it is we’re doing.”

“Why weird?” he stepped forward, close enough that she could see the droplets of rain that had caught in his hair, highlighted by the faint light of the lobby behind her.

“A long story, one reserved for a night after too many drinks.  But…..” she took a deep breath, trying to find that courage that had run through her in the car.  “I guess I’m willing to give it a try.  Like, another date and stuff.”

“That’s good to know,” Peeta replied.  “I’m also glad I didn’t scare you off with that whole flower business.”

Katniss rolled her eyes almost involuntarily.  “I already told you you had nothing to worry about with that.”

“But you looked so….shocked,” he reminded her.  She shrugged.

“Like I said earlier, I’m just not used to hearing things like that.”

“Well….” he trailed off, shifted a little closer.  “You should.”

"Really? Why?" _Ugh, what? Since when did her voice sound all breath-y and porn-y?_

"Because I generally say what I mean. And I mean to say that kind of stuff to you a lot."

“Why?” _Yes, Katniss, that’s the way.  Keep being dense. You know you know what he means._

“Because…..”

She should have seen it coming a mile away, but she didn't, and he caught her off guard. He moved in, his hip knocking gently against hers, his hands landing on her shoulders and sliding down her arms to her wrists. His fingertips were like volts of electricity straight to the pit of her stomach, gooseflesh popping out on her skin. Her eyes fluttered closed as she saw him dip his head towards hers, her mind racing a mile a minute and then the slight pressure against her lips was soft, tentative, and _oh god there had been a shitload of spices in her meal and ugh what if her breath was rancid and he choked on it and, wow he’s good at this, maybe he’s had lots of experience, oh god, Katniss, of course he has, he went to college and-_

"Katniss?" he pulled away slightly, and when she opened her eyes, she had to widen them to make sure there wasn’t two Peetas in front of her.

"Yeah?" She uttered.

"Stop thinking," he whispered, then leant in again.

So she did.

Katniss allowed her arms to tentatively reach up towards his neck, and his hands dropped from her wrists, instead landing on her hips and drawing her closer.  His kiss was still soft, slow, almost languid, until her hands hit the back of his neck and tugged on the strands at the nape. His mouth parted slightly, whether by intention or design, she wasn’t sure, but the minute he did, it was a whole new ball game.

Peeta’s fingers dug into her hips as he angled his head, deepening the kiss, drawing her lower lip into his mouth before gently laving it with his tongue.  She sighed a little, and her body couldn’t decide if it wanted to be as limp as spaghetti or as tightly strung as a bow.  Every shift he made echoed against her; the leanness of his hips, the grip of his hands, the pressure of his chest against hers, and it just felt _so damn good._ His hand slid around her waist, and she could practically feel the tension in his arm as he tried to hold himself together while he teased her tongue with his, as her fingertips pressed and clenched against his neck, his shoulders, the back of his head.  She tried to focus on the feel of his skin, the way his lips felt against hers, the taste of the wine they’d shared lingering on his tongue.  She focused so much she forgot to breathe, and she felt like she was going to pass out.

With a gasp, she pulled away, her heart pounding like a drum, and watched his lips curve into a smile as he looked at her. She imagined her face was as red as a tomato.  “I, uh, that was some good night kiss,” she muttered.

“Mmmm,” he murmured in agreement.  Peeta placed one more gentle kiss on her lips, then stepped back. She realised his face was as flushed as hers. “I’d better go now before I don’t go home at all.”

_Then damn well don’t go home._

“Yeah.  I guess.”  She reached blindly into her purse, palming her keys.  “I’ll see you later?”

“Sure.”  Peeta began walking down the side walk back to his car before he turned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.  “Lunch at school on Monday, as usual?”

She shrugged, her skin still buzzing from his kiss, wishing she had the guts to ask him to stay.  But she didn’t, not yet.  “Sure, I don’t see why not.  But if Clove is there, we’re shooting through ASAP.”

“Ok, deal.”  He grinned.  “Good night, Katniss.”

“Good night Peeta.”

********

“Madge said you’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Christ, does Madge do nothing but _talk_ to people?  How the hell does she get any work done, let alone find the time to do G….nope, no, I’m not even going there.”

Prim’s laugh echoed down the phone.  “Cool your jets, Kat.  I just get nothing out of you, and both Madge and I were on Tumblr the other day-”

“On what?”

“Aren’t you a teacher of teenagers?  Ugh, never mind.  Anyway, because you never tell me _anything_ , I asked if you’d gotten out of your funk over that date with that douche - which was over _5 months ago_ , I might add - and she told me about this teacher.  I mean, A) how have you not mentioned anything about this guy in over 5 months, and B) how have you not mentioned anything about this guy in over 5 months?”

Katniss snorted, and stretched out on her bed, grading lying forgotten on the floor.  She didn’t get to speak to Prim often, who, being 100 miles away with a full study schedule at med school, rarely got a minute alone with her boyfriend, let alone an opportunity to speak with Katniss.  So on the occasion their schedules meshed, they would steal away at least an hour on the phone.  Prim would talk and Katniss would listen.  Except today.

“There was nothing to tell!” Katniss protested.  “Well, until recently, anyway.  He’s...cute.  He’s an art teacher and he’s a pretty fun guy.”

“So I’ve heard, you cougar.”

“Shup up, Prim, do you want to hear or not?” Katniss snapped.  Prim chuckled, but murmured her assent for Katniss to continue.  “Yeah, he’s younger than me.  Not by much, and I’m dealing with it!”

“There’s nothing to deal with, Kat.  It’s only like 4 years.”

“Ugh, what _didn’t_ Madge tell you?”

“How he is in bed?”

“GOOD BYE PRIM!”

“No, no, stop,” Prim laughed.  “I was joking.  You’re just so easy to make fun of!” Katniss could hear the sound of a fridge door opening, and a bottle being cracked open. Prim’s voice was soft as she began speaking again.  “Seriously, all Madge said was that you’d met this guy, and he was a teacher with you, but a bit younger, and it had freaked you out a little to start with.  But that you seemed really keen on him.”

Katniss sighed and rolled onto her stomach, cradling the phone between her shoulder and her ear.  “It’s...weird.  Like, he just oozes confidence and positivity, but then he’ll just have these complete and utter moments of vulnerability that make him….real.  Like, if he was just this smooth operator, I’d be wary.  But the guy spilt coffee on his sleeve during dinner the other night and totally freaked out.  It was kind of reassuring.”  She traced her fingers along a green stripe on her bedspread.  “I sometimes forget he’s younger.”

“He’s the same age as me,” Prim reminded her.  “Do I seem like a kid to you?”

“Well….no.  But you’re my little sister.  That’s different.  And anyway, I meant that it was a good thing.  That 24 doesn’t seem so young when he’s around.  And 27 doesn’t seem so old.”

“Aww, Katniss, you’re smitten.  Wait till I call mom and tell her.”

“Don’t you dare,” Katniss warned, but heard the chuckle make its way down the phone.  

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Uh, hold on for a second.” The muffled sounds of the receiver being held against fabric sounded in her ear, and she caught faint snatches of conversation before Prim’s voice returned.  “Hey, I’m really sorry but I have to go.  Aidan just came home from basketball with a mother of all gashes in his leg.  These guys go hardcore.  But we’ll catch up soon?”

“Sure Prim.  I’ll talk to you later.

“Ok.  Oh, and Katniss?”

“Yeah?”

“You sound happy.  I’ve missed that.  Love you.”

Katniss stared at the phone in her hand, heard the beeping that told her Prim had hung up. Had she sounded upset or sad the other times she’d spoken to Prim over the last year?  Had she been so grumpy that just a few simple kisses could change her entire countenance? _(not that they were anything like just a ‘simple’ kiss, but whatever_ ).  Had she been that closed off for so long that the influence of a new person could really do that much?  She didn’t know.  But what she did know was that the last 6 months had been...odd.  Exciting.  Vaguely terrifying.  Full of anticipation.  And all because of a nice guy who liked to draw and compared her to flowers.

With resolve, she rolled onto her back, and pressed Madge on speed dial.  Firstly, she was going to give her friend what for, for spilling the beans to her sister.  Then she was going to find out what the hell this tumblr shit was.

********

Katniss heard the telltale buzz of an incoming message, and fought through the paperwork laid out in front of her to find it. She smiled when she saw Peeta's name pop up in the notification box.

_Peeta:  How’s grading going?_

_Katniss: You don’t want to know._

_Peeta: That bad?_

_Katniss: I know science isn’t for everyone, but….._

_Peeta: Tell me about it.  One of the assignments that got handed in told me that Van Gogh was “a cool dude who once met Doctor Who.”_

_Katniss: Oh._

_Peeta: Yeah._

_Katniss: A for effort?_

_Peeta: Maybe a C for being able to refer to Doctor Who in an art assignment._

_Peeta: I hate being this busy.  I’ve missed our lunches_

_Peeta: And I still have to have this archery lesson?_

_Katniss:  Sorry, my signal dropped out.  And yeah, we do.  Summer isn’t too far away.  We should do it then._

_Peeta: Yeah.  We should._

********

_1 hour to go._

And it wasn't as if she was counting down. Not really. She wasn't looking at her watch every 5 minutes (only ten), or echoing the grumbles of the kids who just didn't give a shit anymore. She wasn't thinking about how she could sleep in on Monday morning (at least 9.30). Or how she could go out to the national park and lie in the grass by the lake (she could smell it already).  Or how Prim had been bugging her to visit over the holidays, and to bring this 'new guy of hers' along.

Katniss kind of regretted ever spilling more beans about her dates with Peeta to her little sister.

"Ok guys, calm down. I know, I know, summer vacation starts tomorrow. But we've gotta at least do a bit more work to earn it," she announced to a chorus of groans. She’d swear these kids had never had a vacation in their life.

The last month had flown by. The play had wrapped up with two more successful shows, and she'd suddenly been caught up in the usual shit end-of-year entailed. She'd hardly managed to see Peeta during work hours, let alone outside, and their interactions had mostly been limited to a few lunches, and text conversations. She'd been surprised when she'd admitted - albeit just to herself - that she'd missed him. Missed the casual banter they'd fallen into, missed the easy way he seemed to draw her into conversation.

Missed the way his blue eyes kinda shone when he was teasing her.

Katniss shook her head, bringing herself back to the moment, and slipped her glasses on so she could read the textbook she held in her hands. She finished the excerpt she’d pre-selected, gave the kids an activity to complete, then sat back at her desk. It didn't really bother her whether they finished it or not; it didn’t count whatsoever to any grades, didn’t really relate to them learning anything new.  It just kept them occupied until the final bell, and then they were done for the summer. She may have loved teaching, but damn how she needed the break.

This was the first year in a while that she hadn't taken on some additional summer classes to teach, or hadn't signed up to lead any hikes through one of the nearby national parks. She'd saved enough over the last couple of years to warrant her the time off, and it gave her the opportunity to visit Prim, to enjoy the parks as a visitor and not an employee, maybe take off for a weekend or two to the beach. And, she admitted, she'd wanted to keep as much time free as possible _just in case_ she allowed whatever was happening between her and Peeta to blossom into something more.

The bell finally rang, and she tried to stifle her sigh of relief as she rose, as whoops sounded around the room. She smiled, called out goodbyes, shot out a warning to one of the boys who jumped up on his chair and did an enthusiastic hip thrust. _Jeez, where did these kids get their energy?_

It wasn't until the room had emptied that she allowed herself to sink back in her chair and sigh happily. She didn't have to worry about students, or grades or listening to Clove crap on about her wedding for the entire summer. _Hallelujah._

Katniss packed up whatever she needed, locked the rest away in the drawer with her key, and moved towards the door, flicking the light off with one hand and holding her bag with the other. Madge was already leaning against the doorframe in the hall as she stepped out.

The blonde grinned, her arms wrapped around a thick book full of sheet music. "Ready to go? If we leave now and get our shit done, we can be down at Sae's by 5. I'm fairly certain a margarita is calling my name."

Katniss chuckled. "Sure. Who else is going?"

"Chantal, Cressida you, me...there's about ten of us, I think. Thank god Clove is busy. Gale is gonna meet us after he finishes work. Oh, and Peeta is coming too." Madge winked, and looked over Katniss' shoulder; she turned, and spied him just across the corridor.

Katniss watched Peeta as he spoke with a group of students, his face animated, hands gesticulating wildly. She had no clue what he was talking about, but it didn’t matter; he was in his element, his words completely captivating the three girls standing around him.

_Or, you know, they could have just been captivated by his pretty face._

"You stare at him any longer people are gonna know, Katniss," Madge teased from beside her.

"Oh shut up!" She hissed, and turned on her heel, her face aflame. Madge hurried after her, chuckling, and fell into step with her again.

"Just teasing!"

"Shut up or I'll tell everyone about your tumbled thingy."

"Katniss you promised!" Madge yelped. She tugged on Katniss' elbow. "What if one of these kids follow me? I can't be found out!"

Katniss raised her eyebrow, and smirked. "Don’t worry, I won't. But god the look on your face is hilarious."

"Now _you_ can shut up," Madge huffed.  "And shows what you know. It's tumblr, not tumbled. God!"

********

"What the _hell_ are they singing?"

Katniss narrowed her eyes, staring towards the old-school jukebox that Peeta and Gale and one of Gale's co-workers, Thresh, were huddled around. She tipped her head, trying to make out the words through a mild haze of beer. Then she caught Peeta waving his hand, and shaking his ass. "Shit," she choked on her next swallow.  "Outkast."

Madge snorted, sipping the icy, frozen drink in front of her. "Gale hates this music."

"I know," Katniss grinned, remembering the teenage boy she'd grown up with, and his penchant towards the rock their dad’s had listened to. It still amused her that her childhood friend had fallen in love with her co-worker, the girl who loved classical music, housing at least 3 cats at any given time and reading vogue magazine. "But he's still - incredibly awkwardly - shakin' it like a polaroid picture."

Giving everyone time to wrap up any loose ends, or drive home to change out of work attire, they'd met up at Sae's, a popular bar on the other side of town to the school. It was run by the friendly, but no holds barred Sae, an Irish immigrant who loved her Guiness on tap, fish and chips on the menu and always preferred a rowdy bar full of patrons. It was a good place, Katniss had found, to wind-down after a school year, after one of Madge's ridiculous shopping hauls, or the odd occasion when peace and quiet didn't chill her out the way it normally did.  And early in the evening on a Friday night, it was full of workers celebrating the end of the week. Tonight, rowdy didn't even cut it.

"This went downhill very quickly," Chantal commented, studying the empty bottle in her hands, and the numerous ones strewn across the table. "Aren't we supposed to be responsible teachers or something?"

Madge humphed. "Not at the start of summer vacation. And anyway, after that year, we should be allowed to blow off a little steam."

"True. It was a killer," Chantal agreed. She looked up, eyed the jukebox with glazed eyes. "Imma gonna go put some decent music on."

Katniss and Madge watched as she wove - surprisingly gracefully - around the tables and other patrons, pushing Peeta and Gale out of the way to reach the jukebox, and laughed as her selection started.

Peeta began making his way back to their table, leaving Thresh, Gale and Chantal to argue over her music change, and slid into the seat beside her.  She noted his shoulders were tensed, and a muscle in his jaw kept jumping. "Hey," he greeted. His hand slid across the back of her chair, brushing against her shirt slightly. After a few drinks, she kind of wanted his hand to brush against her skin - repeatedly - but right now, beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Hey. Didn't think you'd be old enough to know 'Hey Ya'," she smirked.

"Oh, I think I might have been in diapers or something at the time,” He replied seriously, then nudged her shoulder with his.  “Very funny, Katniss.  This is good, though, you made a joke about it. Progress!"

She elbowed him in the ribs, but chuckled. He was right. The more she thought about their age difference, the less it was starting to bother her. And if she was making jokes about it, well...that was a good thing, right?

“I don’t think Gale and Thresh are very happy with Chantal’s selection,” she said, taking another swallow of her beer.

“You think?  I’m certain they’re going to come to blows.”

“Arguments over Taylor Swift to end the semester - she should be proud of herself.”

“Hey, Katniss, Peeta - you want another drink?”  They both looked up to see Cressida standing beside them, purse in hand and knowing grin on her face.  They both nodded, reaching for their wallets; she brushed them aside with a wave of her hand.  “Don’t worry about that - my treat.” She walked away, and they fell into a comfortable silence.  At least Katniss thought it was comfortable.  Peeta was wriggling around in his seat like a little kid who needed to pee, and she was surprised to hear him clear his throat nervously.

“Peet, you ok?”

“Yeah, I, uh….er….,” he coughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.  “So, uh, what’s the deal with the history between you and Gale?”

“Me and Gale what?” Katniss asked, confused.  She placed her now empty bottle on the table and looked at him expectantly, glad that the din in the bar was loud enough to cover their conversation.

“You and, uh, Gale. When we were at the jukebox we were talking about….stuff, and he mentioned you guys had dated?”

She groaned, a long, drawn-out, very un-Katniss like groan.  “Oh for fucks sake.  He’s jerking your chain because Madge has probably told him about our….dates.  We were ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’” - she used air quotes as she said it - “For about a whole week when we were 16.  We realised we were better friends than anything more.  End of story.”  She glanced over at him, saw his shoulders visibly relax.  “Hey, what- were you _jealous_ , Peeta?  Jealous of _Gale_?”

“How was I supposed to know that was the deal?” he replied defensively.

“But he’s married!”

“I _know_ that,” Peeta retorted, then slumped lower in his seat.  “I’m sorry I said anything.  He just made it seem like you’d been so serious…..”

Katniss turned to face the jukebox, saw Gale watching them, and he grinned, gesturing towards her with a finger gun.  “Ugh, the smart ass.”  She flipped him the bird, then turned back to Peeta.  She wanted - desperately - to touch his arm, his leg, his face, in any way to reassure him.  But she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to come out to any of their co-workers.  Instead, she leant in closer, resting her elbows on her jean-clad knees.  Her voice was soft as she tried to explain as best she could. She hadn't told him most of this for a reason, but she couldn't very well hold back now.

“Gale and I…..we grew up together in the same town, about an hour from here.  We both lost our dads around the same time, and I guess we helped each other through it.  Yeah, we ‘dated’, or whatever it is you do at that age, and then figured we were better as friends, like I said.  He actually came up a couple years ago to visit me, met Madge, and bam.  That’s why he’s here.  He moved here for her.  I’m not secretly pining for him, or anything, ok? And just know I’m likely to go and kneecap him for being an intentional douche.”

Peeta shrugged his shoulders, and sighed.  “Sorry.  He just said it, and...yeah, I guess I felt jealous.  Which is stupid.  I just….I really like you.  And it threw me for a minute.”  He took a deep breath, reached for the fresh beer that Cressida held out to him as she returned, and passed Katniss hers.  “But, um, I’m sorry about your dad.”

She shrugged, swallowing the cool liquid as it coated her throat like a balm.  “Yeah, me too.  But it happened a long time ago now.  It doesn’t hurt like it used to.”  And it was true.  It had hurt being 12 years old and fatherless.  It had haunted her being 17 years old and fatherless.  But at 27?  She'd known for a long time he’d want her to be happy.  In study, in work, in general life, she had been.  Love had been another deal altogether.  But this was not going to be the ‘night after a lot of drinks’ where she told that story, and resolved to put it out of her mind. “Anyway, rest assured you have nothing to worry about. There's no competition.”

The evening wore on, more drinks, more bowls of pretzels, with messy cheese fries and nachos to boot.  Katniss had switched to alternating with soda a long time ago, wanting to hold her buzz without going too far.  She wasn’t in college any more, that was for sure, she thought wryly.

She'd laughed at the bad jokes Beetee - a middle-aged and much respected maths teacher -  told, kicked Gale hard in the shin over ribbing Peeta. She'd endured a girls trip to the bathroom where Cressida had grilled Madge on Thresh's availability, and listened as someone - she wasn't even sure who - massacred a Killers song.

Peeta hadn’t drifted far from her side all night.  She knew he'd watched her just as much as she'd watched him, had almost bit straight through her lip when he'd grinned at her with those stupid dimples popping. She’d studied him with interest as he’d retold a story from his senior year of college, and it just confirmed what she had already known.  He didn’t just have a gift with the kids at school - he had an uncanny ability to hold the attention of anyone, regardless of age or gender.  His words were as good as they rest of him.

_Except for that ass.  That couldn’t really hold a comparison._

Part of her still thought it was kind of sweet - and hilarious - that he’d been jealous of Gale.  It was those little pockets of insecurity that got to her every time.  His smooth moves might make her stomach quiver, but it was those self-conscious grins and stumbles that tugged at her heart every time.   _And, god, she needed to stop drinking completely soon before she started quoting poetry or some shit like that._

Her foot began to tap as she heard the starting notes of a song over the din, and Peeta immediately noticed, turning to her.  “You like this song, huh?”  Katniss nodded with a smile; it reminded her of being a kid and listening to her mom sing - as badly as Peeta - along with the radio. “That’s cool.”  He leant in under the guise of wanting not to yell over the din, but she knew from the way his lips brushed against her ear, it was just to torment her. “I like it too.  My dad listens to them a lot.”

She turned her head slightly, not wanting the brief touch to stop.  “Yeah?”

“Yep.  There’s something kind of sexy about this song.” This time, she turned her head, eyed him curiously.  

“How so?”

“I dunno.  The beat.  And…..you know, these lyrics kind of make me think of you.”

She curled her lip, confused.  “Huh?” _Why did so many things remind him of her?_

“Welllll…..” he leant in close again, and this time she didn’t care who saw.  She was curious.  And still mildly drunk.  “ _Everybody wants to touch somebody, if it takes all night._  I suppose….I’d kind of like to do that to you. Touch you. All night.”

“Holy shit,” she muttered.Katniss swung her head around, and stared at him, not daring to look away for once.  His eyes were clear, but hooded and full of lust and she finally understood what the phrase “eye-fucking” meant.  Because sure as hell, that’s what she was doing right now.

Abruptly, she stood up from her chair, clutching at her purse.  “I’m, uh, going home,” she blurted.  A chorus of _Nooooooos_ sounded, but she waved them off.  “Nope.  I have to go.  Now.  I’ll, uh, catch you all soon.  Have a great summer, guys. Madge, I'll catch you Sunday."

Katniss stumbled a little as she rounded the table, heading directly for the door.  She swung around as she reached it, satisfied when she saw that Peeta had watched her go, his blue eyes burning into her.  She took a deep breath, called up that courage she knew was in there.

_Do it._

_No._

_Do it, Katniss.  You know you want to._

And crooked a finger towards him, tipping her head towards the door at the same time.

He didn’t need to be told twice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. The response to this story has blown me away, and I hope you keep enjoying it.
> 
> This is for the awesomesauce Baronesskika. Happy early birthday, lovely! xo


	5. Chapter 5

She stumbled out into the night air. It wasn’t hot, like she expected it to be - _maybe it was just her, everything inside of her a jumble of want and need and alcohol_ _and…shit, maybe she should have said no to that last beer_ \- but the slight breeze felt like magic against her skin.

Katniss turned at the sound of the bar door creaking open, and watched as Peeta cautiously looked around the parking lot before spotting her, his eyes lighting as he did so. She was still amazed - every minute - that he was interested in her.

He strode towards her, and she didn’t even give herself pause for thought - _if she did, she’d chicken out_. She gripped his collar and pulled him towards her. “I want you,” she muttered.

“Whfutk…” his words were garbled as she slanted her mouth over his, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  She managed to stop herself from grinding up against him in such a public place, knowing their friends were only a door away; she wasn’t drunk enough for that, hell, she didn’t think she’d _ever_ be drunk enough for that.  But keeping her mouth from claiming his?  That was another story entirely.

His hands gripped her hips, fingers digging into the band of her jeans as he pulled her closer, as he sank his teeth lightly into her bottom lip.   _Yep, he was good at this_.  She moaned, just slightly, and he took the opportunity of her mouth parting to slide his tongue between her lips to tangle with hers.  It was frantic, a little needy, more like the first kiss they'd shared in his classroom.  He tasted of beer, and faintly of the maraschino cherry he’d stolen from Cressida’s cocktail with a cheeky grin.  His hands were firm - not like her trembling ones - and his lips soft.  She forgot to think, forgot to breathe, but this time she didn’t care, air be damned.  She allowed her fingers to curl in his hair, tugging slightly.  The jerk of his hips against hers was automatic, and she started at the feel of him flush against her.  Her fingers itched to slide their way down his chest, his torso, to cup him in her palm. _Woah, shit._

Katniss pulled away, face flaming, eyes wide.  She could feel his heart pounding against her own chest.

“Katniss, what are we doing?” Peeta mumbled, breathing heavily.  

“I thought it was pretty obvious,” she replied.

“We’re both…..we’ve both been drinking.  We shouldn’t.  Not right now,” he murmured, reaching his hands up and cupping her face.  “Let’s get you home.”

She scowled, trying to twist her head away, but he held firm. “I’m not _drunk_ ,” she hissed.  “Just buzzed.  I know exactly what I’m doing.  Isn’t this why you followed me out?  Isn’t this what you’ve wanted?”

He raised his eyebrows.  “Not like this it isn’t. I don’t want alcohol coursing through my veins - or yours - the first time I’m with you, Katniss.”

She huffed, folding her arms across her chest.  “Now I just look like an idiot.”

Shaking his head, he chuckled.  “No you don’t.”

“Whatever.  I just wanna go home.”

Peeta’s hands slid down to her shoulders, fingers gliding along her collarbone in the process.  “I’ll take you home, Katniss.  And we’re not going to sleep together tonight, as much as I might want to.  But I will stay with you, if that’s ok.”

Katniss scrunched up her nose, studying him.  They’d spent all night flirting - _hell, he’d told her he wanted to touch her all night_ \- and now he was telling her they were going to have a sleepover?  What, with pillow fights and whispered secrets?  Braiding each others hair? Ugh.

“Fine,” she muttered, not even sure why she was saying yes.  “I caught a cab here.  We’ll catch one home.”

“Fine,” he echoed.  She stalked out to the street, thankful it was a busy enough road that a cab would come along soon.  She couldn’t look at him out of embarrassment.  Hadn’t her crooked finger spoken volumes?  Hadn’t it been obvious?  She’d finally - finally - managed to admit to herself the age crap had been just that - crap - and now she’d been turned down.  Didn’t matter that she knew he was right, that what he said made sense.  But when your head - and most other parts of you - were full of lust and wanting to do things she hadn’t done in a long time, it was almost a kick to the gut.

She couldn't have been more thankful when she spied a cab and he flagged it down.

********

Pushing the door open, Katniss kicked her flats off, one hitting the wall and scuffing the bare cream paint.  She shrugged, continuing down the short hall, listening as Peeta closed and locked the door behind him.  Sobriety had hit her like a ton of bricks, and she was fairly sure whatever buzz Peeta had had was long gone.  The cab ride had been stony, the air between them thick with tension - and not the good kind.

“Katniss.” Peeta’s voice came from behind her as she dumped her purse on the sofa.  She turned to face him, and he was all bright blue puppy dog eyes.  “Did you really want to stand in the middle of a parking lot and make out?”

“Maybe,” she replied obstinately.   _Dammit, he was so, so right._

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, taking a step towards her.

“Maybe,” she echoed.

“I’m not.  I didn’t want that.  I want to spend time with you, Katniss, but not necessarily like that.   Is that so bad?”

“No. But you didn’t have to be an asshole about it.”

Peeta laughed.  “I wasn’t!  I was rationally - surprising, considering the drinks I had - trying to avoid taking advantage of you in the middle of a public place.” He took another step towards her, and instinctively she took a step back, hitting the back of her knees against the arm of the sofa.  She dropped to it, staring up at him.

“But….I told you I wanted you.  And that wasn’t easy for me to say.  Even with a couple Sam Adams in me.”  Her voice was meek, a little low, and dammit, she sounded so whiny.  But that’s exactly how she felt.  He had _no_ idea how much courage it had taken her to say that.

“Ah shit,” he muttered, reaching up and running his hands through his hair.  “I’m sorry.  I thought I was doing the right thing.  I didn’t mean….” He expelled a loud breath, dropping his head back so that the line of his neck was exposed.  

“No, no, you were.  I guess….I guess in the heat of the moment I let myself get carried away.  And then offended.  I just assumed….you wouldn’t turn me down.”

“No, Katniss.” Peeta looked back down at her, then rounded the sofa, plopping down beside the arm she was seated on.  She half turned to face him.  “I meant what I said tonight, I mean everything I say to you.  I just don’t want to screw it up.  I don’t want to turn you down, and didn’t mean for it to sound that way.  I just didn’t think it was the right place.”  Katniss bit her lip, wondering how they’d gone from flirting like crazy, to stony silence, to being all sensitive about their feelings in a matter of half an hour.  

“You’re right.  You weren’t being an asshole.  Sorry I overreacted.”

“You didn’t,” he replied.  He looked up at her, reached a hand up to lace his fingers through hers.  He tugged lightly, and she had no choice but to follow, trying not to land too heavily in his lap.  Her legs still dangled over the edge of the arm, and he trailed his free hand down the side seam of the jeans she wore. “Why do we always seem to be second guessing or questioning each other?” he muttered.

“I don’t know,” Katniss replied, fingers tightening around his.  “This is different for me.  Ask Madge about any other guy I’ve half considered dating in the last couple of years.  And, I dunno, maybe you’re super confident, I’m under confident?”

“I’m not super confident, Katniss,” he said matter-of-factly.  “I just….feel like I waited a long time for my life to get where I wanted it to be.  And I just don’t want to waste any more time.  I figure if I want something I should go for it, but I need to wait until you’re there too.”

“I… But I am,” she whispered.  “It took me a few more months than you to admit to it….but I _do_ want you.”

He smiled, but didn’t say anything.  She couldn’t either, and they sat in silence, time dragging out as he ran his hand up and down the outside of her leg and her fingers tightened around his, until the air was thick with tension that was palpable and a lot more appealing than what had surrounded them in the cab ride.

She let her free hand wander up his arm, admired where the rolled sleeve hit his elbow - _dammit he really would get her every time with that_ \- until her palm rested against his shoulder. This was nice. More than nice. She hadn't wanted to be this close to someone in a long time. Maybe ever.

Peeta bent his head slightly, tipping his forehead against hers to get her to look at him before pressing his lips to hers. It was sweet, though she couldn't deny she felt his heart thud a little quicker against her shoulder.  It was almost enough to distract her from the fact that his arms were banding around her waist and under her knees, and he was pulling himself to his feet.

“Wha-wai-what?” she stuttered.  

“Where’s your room, Katniss?”

“I thought we weren’t….”

“We’re not,” Peeta confirmed.  “But I told you I wanted to touch you all night.  And I meant it.  If you’ll allow it.” Her jaw dropped, words stuck in her throat.  She managed a half nod, though her head felt like it was going to fall off her shoulders.

_Those damned Eagles.  They were going to be the death of her._

She swallowed heavily as he moved out of the lounge, barely able to mutter _‘down the hall and to your left’_ as he headed for her bedroom.  Now she was nervous, all the bravado - and annoyance - holding her together gone.  Instead, it had been replaced with a quivering mass of nerves and a heart thudding like crazy.

Peeta pushed his way through the door to her room, before lowering her to her feet.  She faced him, fingers twisting the long chain she wore, thankful that between the moonlight streaming through the open curtains and the faint light of the hall, there was no need to turn on the overhead - or lamp - light.   _This was stupid.  What was she supposed to do now?  He’d carried her into her room like he was freaking Prince Charming, and had already pretty much told there would be no home runs tonight._

_Which, in hindsight, she was probably thankful for._

_So what-_

And then she didn’t think anymore as Peeta reached for the waistband on her jeans and tugged her forward into his arms.  He traced along the bare skin of her stomach, where his fingers had snuck under her shirt. She wasn’t ticklish, not in the slightest, but her skin broke out in goosebumps, especially when one of his hands slid around her back, and splayed against the warm flesh.

“Do you mind?” he asked, tugging slightly on the hem of the shirt. Eyes wide, she shook her head, allowed the material to slip over her head and drop to the floor. “That’s better.”

“I guess?” She shrugged, fighting the urge to wrap her arms around herself and cover up.  He laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that part of her recognised was filled with nerves.   _Ok, this was good. He was nervous too_.

He took one step, two, guiding her backwards towards the bed. On the third step she glanced down just in time to see his foot slide into the sleeve of her discarded shirt, and before she could even mutter a warning, he was stumbling forwards, taking her with him as they fell to the bed in an ungraceful heap.

“Oof!” Katniss groaned, pushing his weight from on top of her, even as a laugh bubbled out.  “You elbowed me in the boob!”

“Shit, shit, sorry, sorry,” Peeta muttered, trying to steady himself on his elbow.  “I didn’t mean to, your shirt……” he trailed off, his cheeks pink and ruddy with embarrassment.   _And there he was.  The sweet Peeta who spilt coffee on his jacket and was just as surprised as she was at Madge setting them up._

“It’s ok,” she whispered.  He murmured another apology, before letting his eyes drift down her torso; she bit her lip nervously, the laugh dying in her throat.   _What if he didn’t_ ….

“Katniss, stop thinking,” Peeta said quietly.  “Just...let me look.”

So she did.  She let him look, let him drift his knuckles over the bare skin, while she clenched her hands into fists by her sides.  It wasn’t what she’d expected of tonight when she walked out that door.  No, she’d expected a tangle of limbs, of lips pressing to flesh, of sweaty skin sliding over sweaty skin as she reached a peak she hadn’t reached for a long time.  Then he’d smashed that idea, and she hadn’t known what to think.  This, an introduction that was making her stomach quiver and her heart thud in a staccato that echoed in her ears, was so much better.

After all, anticipation had already gotten them this far.  A little further wouldn’t hurt. Maybe.

 _Ohhhhhhhh_.

His hand had crept up her side, fingers tracing across the swell of her breast above the boring black bra she’d worn - _not that she had any other options, she’d flat out refused the Victoria’s Secret shopping trip_ \- and her stomach muscles jerked in response.

“I think….I think you’re a little overdressed,” she managed to mutter, eyelids fluttering closed. _Just slip your hand under.  Just a little more further south, just a little…._ She choked on her own thoughts as he did just that, as his fingers dipped below the soft black cotton and brushed against the peak that stiffened against his touch.

“Nope,” he disagreed.  “I said I wanted to touch you all night.  We didn’t say anything about the other way around.”

Katniss arched her back, pushing herself into his palm.  “I...would like to negotiate those terms.”  She heard him chuckle, and then his lips were close to her ear.

“Non-negotiable, Miss Everdeen.”  His breath was warm against her skin and she shivered.  Maybe anticipation hadn’t been a good thing.  Because if he continued doing what he was doing - being shy and self-effacing one moment, absolutely driving her insane with muttered words the next - she was pretty much going to lose it.

“This isn’t some teacher fantasy you’re playing out is it?” she asked, eyes drifting open.  He smiled down at her, and she was surprised at how dark his eyes were.  Shades and shades darker than their normal blue, almost the hue of midnight.  His jaw was tense despite the smile, a muscle spasming in his cheek.  “Mr Mellark?”

“Nope.  Just my Katniss Everdeen one.”

“Oh.”

Peeta drew his hand away, and pulled himself up so that he was resting on his haunches.  His fingers drifted to the button on her jeans, and paused - she nodded, closing her eyes again.  She couldn’t watch him, not the way he slowly rolled the pants down her legs, though she held back a snort when they caught slightly on her knee. Finally they were off, tossed on the floor by her shirt.  His fingers trailed up the arch of her left foot, over the bone of her ankle, up the soft skin of her calf. Echoing the trail up her right leg, he lightly traced patterns over both of them, and her spine stiffened and then loosened like a broken string.  All he was doing was exactly what he told her he would - _touch her_ \- and it was possibly the most incredible thing her body had ever felt.  Ever.  Even better than that massage Prim dragged her to the year before and she’d pretended she’d hated-

“Shitttttt,” she murmured, as his hand moved up her thigh, grazing over her centre with the back of his hand, both the simplest and most outrageous of touches. She swallowed heavily.  “You’re….you’re good at this.”

“It’s the inspiration,” Peeta replied after a moment.  “Will you open your eyes again?”  She fought the inclination to say no, to keep hiding behind her eyelids - _because that’s what she was doing, she couldn’t deny it_ \- and opened them to look directly up at him.  She watched as his chest shifted under his shirt with his breathing, tried not to let herself glance down to where his pants were straining against him, because she was 10000% certain she’d be done if she did.  He slid down so that he was lying flush against her, his chest pressed up along the length of her arm as it rested against the sheet. He methodically made his way across every available inch of uncovered skin, a trail of fingers here, a dusting of knuckles there, a cupping with a palm or a tweak with a fingertip.  Katniss didn’t know if minutes had passed, or hours.  All she knew was that Peeta Mellark was true to his word.

But if he didn’t touch her where she wanted him to the most soon, she was going to have to take care of business herself.

“Peeta…” she murmured, trying to catch his gaze, though it looked like it was firmly trained on the way her toes were curling into the sheet.  She reached up, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and tugged his face towards hers, pressing her lips to his.  He sank into her, his mouth sliding over hers with heat and want and need until she moaned into his.  “Would you just touch me?”

“I am,” he said with a smile.

“Don’t mess with me, Mellark,” she warned, then sighed with relief as he let his hand trail down her stomach, to the edge of the - thankfully matching - black panties she wore.

“Alright, alright, I won’t,” he promised, then slipped his hand under the fabric. Her stomach tensed as his fingers slid over her, then cupped her, and her body jerked in response. She looked up at him under heavy lids, and he leant down, pressed his forehead to hers. She could feel the weight of his body against her side, could feel the way his hips shifted back and forth along the length of her bare thigh, pressing and sliding to create some kind of friction for himself.

"Peeta," she murmured. "Let me."

He shook his head, tongue darting out to slide against her lower lip. "I just want to touch you, remember?" He whispered. Her brow furrowed, and she opened her mouth to argue again, but then his mouth was covering hers, and his fingers were rubbing circles against her, gently and slowly, then a little faster and harder, then slower again, in response to the rolling of her hips and the moans she released into his mouth.

"You feel so good," Peeta managed to utter through a jaw clenched so tight it could crack glass. "You're just so...." He didn't finish, just slipped one finger inside her easily, followed by another. Her breath caught on a gasp as she locked eyes with him, as his burned into hers with an intensity that she couldn't look away from. It caught her, fueled her as he moved his hand slowly at first, then faster as her hips snapped and she almost couldn't control their movement. His own thrusted steadily against her thigh.

Katniss inhaled sharply as Peeta tore his mouth from hers, as he pressed his lips against the swell of first one breast then the other, before propping himself up on his elbow, his gaze firmly fixed on her face as her vision blurred and her skin skittered and stars... _stars, what the hell, in her room? Oh. Oh. God. Ahhhh....oh shit...ohhhhhhhhh...._

It was one long continuous moan that fell from her lips. No words, just a lingering sound as everything inside her snapped and twisted and fired and then made her body loose and tender and satiated for the first time in a long time.

Katniss expelled a deep breath, watched as Peeta looked down at her with a mixture of awe and longing and need in his eyes, his own breathing heavy and rapid, a lone bead of sweat sliding down the side of his cheek.

"That," he murmured, "Was exactly what I wanted."

"Huh?" She asked. Her eyes slid down him, where it was pretty damn obvious he was still hard. "But don't you-"

He shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "Oh no, I'm good. I already told you, I wasn't here for me. I've wanted to touch you for the longest time. Wanted to make you moan under me, wanted to watch your face as you came." He pressed the lightest of kisses against her nose. "I just did all that, and it was the hottest thing I've ever seen." He slipped his hand from between her thighs, pulled himself up into a kneeling position so he hovered over her. "Can I still stay?" The question was quiet, hesitant, as if he thought she'd kick him out at the first opportunity. She was surprised at his sudden change in demeanour.

"Peeta," she said firmly, waited until he locked gazes with her. "Just tell me which side of the bed you want. And then if it's the same as me, we'll argue. You can stay regardless." He grinned, and went to move away, but her arm reached up, gripped his forearm tightly. "But first....." She nudged him with just enough force for the elbow supporting him to give way, his head hitting the pillow. Her fingers danced down the buttons of his shirt, slowly undid the bottom one.

"Katniss," Peeta warned.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Peeta," she told him simply, steadily making progress up the length of buttons. She watched his eyes follow the trail of her fingers, and his mouth open in protest - then firmly close again. "Everything is negotiable."

He didn't say no anyway.

********

She rolled over, the stream of light from her opened curtains hitting her across the face.  She’d forgotten to close them last night, and all things considered, who could blame her?  She’d had other things on her mind.

_Oh god._

Things had certainly taken a turn she hadn’t expected. A good turn, she wasn't going to lie. A _very_ good turn.

Stretching out a hand, Katniss touched bare, cool sheets, and sat up with a start, holding onto the edge of the thin cotton before it pooled around her waist. _He was gone_. She felt the disappointment settle low in her gut, before she remembered they hadn't agreed to anything. She couldn't blame him for shooting off, he probably had stuff to do, people to see-

_Oh hell no. There was coffee. She could smell it._

She sniffed in appreciation at the thick, rich smell wafting down the hall, and curled herself back into a ball, snuggling into the pillow. _He was still here_ , she smiled to herself.

"Morning," Peeta greeted, as he leant against the doorframe, two steaming mugs in hand. "I hope you don't mind. I remembered where everything was....."

Katniss sat up, dragging the sheet up to her chin, and nodded. "All good. I could do with it."

He moved towards the bed, bare-chested - _yes please_ \- and handed one mug to her before settling in beside her. She sipped at hers, welcoming the jolt of caffeine through her veins. She was so relaxed she figured she would fall asleep at the drop of a hat today. They sat in silence for a few moments, the birds outside her window chattering madly the only sound breaking the quiet.

"So, uh..." Peeta cleared his throat, fingers picking at invisible pieces of lint on the sheet. “We good?”

She smiled over the rim of her cup, her eyes sliding over to him as she turned her head slowly.  “We’re good.”

“Good,” He breathed out on a relieved sigh. “I just….wanted to make sure I hadn’t pushed things too quickly.”

She shook her head.  “Peeta, we’ve been dancing around each other for months.  I don’t think it was too quick.  I’m just sorry it took me so long to catch up.”

He reached up, tugged one hand away from the mug to lace his fingers through hers.  “All the right timing,” he said simply, then grinned as Katniss’ stomach growled noisily.  The cheese fries from last night were a distant memory.  “And speaking of timing….breakfast?  I can make pancakes?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t have a shaker mix.”

Peeta screwed up his nose in distaste.  “God, Katniss, you need to experience real pancakes.  I’ll make them from scratch. I already checked your cupboards – you’ve got everything I’d need.”

“I do?”

“You do,” he confirmed.

“And you’re going to make them from scratch?” she asked incredulously.  “Who does that?”

“I do,” Peeta laughed.  “I did it pretty often through college.  They’re a great post-hangover cure.  Finnick, my roommate, would drown them in hot sauce and call them dragon-cakes.”

“That’s disgusting,” Katniss retorted.

“Yeah, it is, and so was his breath afterwards,” he agreed with a laugh, then nudged her shoulder.  “So…pancakes?”

“Ok.  But no hot sauce,” she said firmly.

“No hot sauce.”

********

“You got laid,” Madge said matter-of-factly, pushing away from the wall and taking a sip from the stupid grande half shot caramel macchiato that Katniss loved to mock her for drinking.

“Pfft, no I did _not_ ,” Katniss retorted indignantly, her flushed cheeks betraying her words.

“Ok, ok, potatoes, pot-ah-toes.  You got naked with the art teacher.”

Katniss grimaced, rolled her eyes, and began searching through her bag, anything to prevent her from looking at Madge.  She was worse than Prim with this shit.  At least when Prim had teased her about boys when they were teenagers, Prim hadn’t really known what sex was.

She liked to tell herself Prim still didn’t know what it was, and that when the time came, a niece or nephew would be delivered by a stork. Or she'd find them by a cabbage patch. Whatever worked.

"If I say yes, will you just drop it so we can get inside?" They'd agreed, months ago, to help Madge's mother out at a charity fundraiser, and they were spending their afternoon serving tea and scones and having to chatter mindlessly to the attendees.  Katniss hadn’t wanted to say yes - chatter, mindless or otherwise, wasn't high on her to do list - but in the end, she hadn’t been able to say no.  She stopped rifling through her bag to finally look up at Madge, whose mouth had dropped open.

"Ho-oly shit I was joking. But you're not! Oh my god, Katniss, details! Is he ripped? How big is he?"

"Christ, Madge, quit it." Katniss blushed, then sighed, as Madge poked her bottom lip out and made it quiver.  Knowing this particular face worked on her made her wonder what Madge had convinced Gale to do over the years whenever she pulled it. She knew the persistent blonde would seek out a million ways to ask her every little detail if she gave her nothing now. "He's....attentive. I'm not telling you anything else, so don't even bother to ask anymore."

Madge screwed her nose up.  "Katniss, you can't leave me there! You're in your first relationship in who knows how long, and you won't even tell me about it!"

"I'm not...." she trailed off, wondering what exactly she and Peeta were. Were they in a relationship? Was staying over and breakfast the following morning the start of something serious? Was she prepared to put herself on the line and properly date a fellow teacher, where a million and one things could go wrong and they could end up shooting each other death stares across the lunchroom? Maybe.  "I don't know what we are, Madge. We didn't really discuss it."

"Too _busy_ I bet." She waggled her eyebrows, opened the door into the function venue and allowed Katniss to step in first.

"More like I was eating pancakes, so quit it. Why am I friends with you again?"

"My wit and bottomless closet."

"Nope, still not a clue."

Madge laughed, her blue eyes twinkling.  "Well, whatever it is you have with _the_ Mr Mellark, you have the entire summer free to work it out." They moved into a kitchen bustling with workers, and where Mrs Undersee was perched on a stool in the corner, a cold compress pressed against the back of her neck as she barked orders. Madge sighed, some of the spark visibly dropping from her. "Great, I should have known this would happen. Mom has a headache. You know what this means."

"You're going to have to do her thank you speech?"

Madge nodded glumly. "Yeah, I'd say so. Promise me a sexy tidbit later so I have something to look forward to?"

Katniss shook her head, laughing, then reached for a bright pink apron sitting on the counter. "He likes to sleep with the windows open," she smirked, then walked away. She heard Madge's whine of protest from the other side of the room.

********

Katniss flopped backwards onto her bed. The day had been long, and Madge had been exhausted enough not to wheedle her about Peeta as Katniss had dropped her home. Madge had indeed given the thank you speech to conclude the event, while her mother waved pitifully from a table in the centre of the room. Katniss had simply been thankful it had been Madge, and not her.

 _Peeta!_ She suddenly remembered a text that had come through earlier, and sat up quickly, reaching blindly out to her bedside table and picking up her discarded phone.

_Peeta: Hey. How's it going? Pilfered any cupcakes yet?_

_Katniss: Hey. Sorry for the late reply, just got home. Exhausted. And I only scored one cupcake._

_Peeta: One? Lousy effort._

_Katniss: The old lady I fought off for it looks worse for wear._

_Peeta: Ha!_

Katniss yawned, stretched, pushed her face into the pillow. She was startled to realise it still smelt like him.

_Peeta: So I'd like to see you again. Soon._

_Katniss: Ok._

_Peeta: Just ok?_

_Katniss: Stop fishing for compliments._

_Peeta: :) Tomorrow?_

_Katniss: I have 3 million errands. Tuesday?_

_Peeta: I guess if I have to wait that long...._

_Katniss: It's not that far away. I have an idea. Meet me my place, 10.30?_

_Peeta: Ok._

_Katniss: Just ok?_

_Peeta: See you Tuesday. xo_

She stared down at the glaringly obvious 'x' and 'o' and reminded herself, religiously, that she had the whole summer to figure out where they were headed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Thank you so much for your kudos and comments, they absolutely make my day.
> 
> Ngl, this chapter was a little hard for me to write, so I would be remiss in not thanking salanderjade, MalTease, Jeeno2 and Baroness Kika for their hand holding and encouragement. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Come and find me on tumblr - I'm there under sponsormusings as well :)


	6. Chapter 6

_“Wake up Panem-ites! It’s 9.31am, the sun is shining and if you’re still in bed, it’s time to get-”_

Katniss rolled over, hitting the radio alarm with an open palm, cutting off Caesar Flickerman mid-sentence. She yawned, and rubbed her eyes, stretching out until she felt her back crack.  She smiled to herself when she remembered what day it was.  There was never anything better than being on summer vacation, especially that first Monday when she didn’t have to roll out of bed and into a classroom. _Especially_ now, when she actually had something to look forward to, something to occupy her time more than just working a second job during the summer.

In the safety and comfort of her own head, she could admit that Peeta Mellark had become a very interesting distraction since his arrival at Capitol High School.

She punched the pillow under her, snuggling back in, breathing in the faint remnants of the cologne or whatever Peeta wore when he’d stayed Friday night.  It was an odd mix of sweet and spicy, and knew if she smelt it even a mile away, she’d know it was his.  And then she rolled her eyes at herself and at such ridiculously smushy thoughts.   _Katniss Everdeen wasn’t smushy._

Except, maybe, when it came to Peeta.

She hadn’t lied when she’d told him she had a bunch of errands to run today. She had laundry to do, a pile of bills to pay, a gift for her mother's birthday, and then planned to scour the car ads.  Her little nest egg was going to get a dent when she succumbed to the necessity of a new car, and she figured there was no time like the present to start looking.

Plus she had to go shopping for herself.  Or, more accurately, she thought, for _Peeta_.  She assumed they’d get _there_ sooner or later, so she was better off being prepared this time.  Nothing like a nice set of fancy underwear to make her feel good, right?  

_Sure Katniss. You’re just keen to try and knock the poor guys socks off._

_Operative word:  Try._

Turning her face into the pillow, she groaned.

She hated shopping.

********

“Katniss?  Oh my god, Katniss!  What are you doing in here?  I’ve _never_ seen you shop in here before!”

 _Shit_.

Katniss grimaced before turning to see Clove behind her, who had a smile on her face and something red and lacy with snaps and tassells dangling from it in her hand.  She wasn’t sure what it was, but was damn certain she didn’t _want_ to know.

“Oh hey, Clove,” she muttered. “Long time no see.” _Not long enough._

“I know!  I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come Friday night.  Cato had a work do on that night, and it was _really_ important that I go, what with all the firm partners being there….” Katniss zoned out as Pod Person Clove talked a mile a minute, still confused as to how different she’d become in the last 6 months.  Gone was the snarky, sassy brunette who had been more likely to glare you to death rather than talk you to it. She wondered, vaguely, if being in a relationship could irrevocably change you that much.  Was Clove really that happy now that it seemed to seep out of every orifice?  

“But you never answered my question!  What are you doing in here?  You’re not _dating_ anyone, are you?  Need some sexy underwear?” Clove dropped her voice to a whisper, in case Katniss was about to share a big secret.

“No!” She exclaimed immediately.  “I, uh….need new thermals for when I go camping, and I was hoping they’d have some on sale with it being summer and all…..”

Clove’s mouth twisted in disgust.  “ _Thermals_ , Katniss?  From here?  Couldn’t you just get those at Target or something?”

Katniss nodded, inwardly cringing at her lie.  Victoria’s Secret was for lacy panties and the contraption Clove was holding, not thermals when you hike into the mountains in the middle of a cold snap. “Uh yeah….I suppose.  I just figured I’d look anyway.”

“If you say so,” Clove replied dismissively.  “But I’m glad I ran into you, as Cato and I have set a date, and I would _love_ it if you came to my bachelorette party.  I’m having it over the summer break, and then we’re getting married in September.”

“September?” Katniss echoed.  “That’s….quick.”

“No point putting it off if we both know it’s what we want!  Anyway, tell Madge, would you?  I want you both to be there.”

“Uh, sure.  I guess.”

“Great!” Clove rolled her eyes as her phone pinged, and she pulled it out of her bag.  “Ugh, it’s my sister.  She is being such a cow about this wedding.  I mean, it’s not my fault her husband is dicking around with his secretary.” She dropped it back into the purse and huffed.  “I just have no time for her, she’s always been such a bitch.”  Katniss bit her lip before she could mutter that Clove would never have won any personality awards herself.  “Ok, so tell Madge, will you?  I’ll send a proper invite out to you soon!” She finger waved - _finger waved, wtf?_ \- before hurrying over to the counter with her torture device.

Katniss watched Clove get served, and walk out of the store before she breathed a sigh of relief and began looking through the racks again properly.  She didn’t even really know what she was looking for, and as her idea of comfort was braless with an old oversized football jersey, she was in a world of pain.

And then the simple, silky black, with the flash of orange caught her eye, and she knew it was a sign. She took a deep breath as she checked the size, letting out a sigh of relief as she noted it was hers.

She didn’t bother to try it on.  She paid for it, and hightailed it home before she could encounter anyone else.

********

“I can’t remember you becoming like that when you got together with Gale,” Katniss mused, flopping back on her couch and crossing her legs on the cushions. She’d called Madge the minute she got home, the offending shopping bags staring at her from where she'd dropped them on the kitchen bench.  She tucked the phone into the crook of her neck.  “I mean, I barely recognise Clove as soon as she opens her mouth.”

“Maybe before was just a defence mechanism or something,” Madge replied around a mouthful of chips.  Katniss could hear the crunch through the phone line, and rolled her eyes.  Sometimes, Madge had the shittiest phone manner.  “Maybe she felt she had to build a wall up so she didn’t get hurt, and then when she got together with Gropy Dude, she realised she could drop it.”

Sometimes Madge was as subtle as a sledgehammer. “Come on, I know you’re talking about me in that analogy as well.”

Madge chuckled.  “Then maybe it’s the same for Clove, who knows.  I mean, sure, I didn’t change after Gale and I got together.  But then I guess I never felt the need to hide myself before then either. Just…I love him and he makes me happy.”

Katniss screwed up her nose - after all, it was _Gale_ Madge was talking about - and barrelled ahead.  “Yeah, but it’s like Clove’s…. vomiting rainbows or something, she’s that happy.”

“Dude, that’s a disgusting, but highly correct, observation.”  She heard Madge sigh down the line.  “Maybe you just need a little happy yourself, Kat.”

“Maybe.”

“Or, you know, just get some action.”

“Good bye Madge.”

********

But it made her wonder.  Made her wonder if she really had closed herself off from people since she’d broken things off with Darius.  Made her wonder if she let Peeta in as close as she was wanting to, whether _she_ would change like Clove. Or if she’d be like Madge, and not change, just go with the flow.

It made her wonder enough that she threw on her gym gear and went for a run.  Air is what she needed more than anything right now.

********

"Pull the string back just a little more. Rest it against your lips." Katniss pursed her own as she watched Peeta's stance with the bow. He was all over the place really. For someone who was so good with his hands, he fumbled about with the bow like it was made of spaghetti.

He’d picked her up at 10.30 on the dot, and if he’d been disappointed when she’d told him to drive to Capitol Recreation and Camping Grounds, he didn’t say a word.  He’d simply smiled - _dammit, those dimples!_ \- and headed down the street, immediately launching into how his brother had called him at 2am, drunk and complaining that their other brother - who he shared an apartment with two cities over - refused to pick him up from a strip club downtown.  She’d laughed as he’d mimicked his older brother with a ridiculous drunken drone and over exaggerated facial expressions.  Now, half an hour later, he was facing a well-worn target in the empty archery field, feet spread and body braced as he prepared to aim.  His foot tapped erratically against the dirt.

“Like this?" He mumbled, his words muffled by the string that now rested against his upper lip.

"Good enough. Give it a go. Don't think about it, just let-" she didn't get the rest of the word out as he loosed the arrow, the slight thunk as it hit the wooden edge of the target overshadowed by his yelp.

"Ah shit, that burns!" He groaned, rubbing his right forearm, where the string had caught against his skin. Katniss smothered a chuckle, and shook her head as she walked towards the target to retrieve the arrow.

"You just have to situate your arm a little better. You'll get there." She held the arrow out to him, waiting as he tugged it out of her hand.

"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to spend time with you, Katniss," he grumbled, but still resolutely nocked the arrow again.

"I know," she replied simply, hoping she spoke lightly enough to cover the tremor in her voice.  She knew it; they both knew it.  Really, she was kidding herself if every time he was going to lean over to pick up an arrow, she wasn’t already planning on checking him out. She would be a big fat liar if she hadn’t imagined him in her room again, just like he had been on Friday night, about 20 times already.

Gritting her teeth, she turned back to him, stopped herself from inhaling deeply as she moved in close enough to reposition his arm.  “Just….let it go.  Don’t think about it.  Hitting the target isn’t a matter of life and death.”

“What if it was?”

She snorted, couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Next time you get called into a Gladiator arena, Peeta, give me a call.  We’ll up the training.  Now let’s go.” She tapped under his elbow, making him lift it slightly, and watched as he narrowed his eyes, concentration causing lines to furrow between his brows. He tried another 5, 10 times, and she could see the frustration growing in his face, the way his jaw tightened and flexed at not being able to get it.  He was at least hitting the white part of the target now - it didn’t have far to go at all to actually get onto the coloured areas.  

Katniss adjusted the hand that gripped the bow again, gave his fingers a light squeeze before stepping back.  This time he let it go with a sharp thwack, the arrow wobbling slightly before it straightened, hitting the left hand side of the red ring.

“Haha!” Peeta crowed, letting the bow drop and hang loosely by his side.  The exertion he’d expended was obvious, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek, the hair at the nape of his neck sticking damply to his skin.  “Finally got the target!”

“You did,” Katniss agreed with a smile.  “Next stop, bullseye.”

“Do I get a kiss for my efforts?” He asked innocently, wiping at the sweat with the sleeve of his shirt.

Katniss snorted.  “Are you five years old?”

“No.  But I tried hard, you know.”  He puckered his lips comically, and she rolled her eyes, leaning forward on her toes to press a decidedly chaste kiss on his cheek before going to retrieve the arrow.   He chuckled.  “So are you going to show me what you can do now, then?”

She yanked the arrow from the target, turned to face him.  “You want to see me shoot?”

“Course.  If you’re teaching me, it’s only fair I see what you can do.” Peeta folded his arms across his chest, shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

She shrugged, then lined up beside him, swiftly taking the bow from his hands.  It felt as natural as breathing, holding onto the bow, feeling the arrow between her fingertips.  She didn’t think, didn’t consider, simply nocked the arrow, pulled the string taut, and let it fly. The yellow circle in the centre of the target surrounded her arrow perfectly.

“Holy shit,” Peeta laughed.  “I figured you were good, but that good…..Damn, Katniss, no wonder you teach this at the school.”

She blushed, picked up another arrow from the ground, and repeated the process, the second arrow landing directly underneath the first.

“Where….where did you say you learnt this?” He asked.

“My dad taught me as a kid,” she said simply, resting the tip of the bow against the ground.  “He taught me lots of things; how to shoot, how to climb a tree, how to set a trap for rabid animals.  My sister is good with fixing scrapes and burns and injuries.  I’m good at making them.”

She watched as he crossed in front of her, yanking out the two arrows from the target, and holding them out to her as he returned.  “Show me again,” he said quietly, and she acquiesced, taking one from his outstretched hand.

Neither were really surprised when she hit the bullseye again.  And again.  And again.

“Geez, Katniss, this is kind of….” Peeta trailed off as the third arrow hit home.  She turned to him, studied the flush across his cheeks.

“Kind of what?” she asked defensively.  She couldn’t help it.   _Was he threatened by the fact she could shoot better than him? Was he-_

“Kind of _fucking hot_ ,” he muttered, scratching the back of his neck absently.  “Like….I would probably happily let you aim that arrow at me as long as you promised to do it naked.”

Her jaw dropped, before a surprised laugh fell from her lips. “You’re kidding me right?”

He stepped up close to her, until there was barely an inch between them. “Not one bit,” he said forcefully.  “You surprise me every day.  Your ability to stand up in front of a bunch of kids and happily talk about bunsen burners.  Your willingness to support the kids at school when they do extracurriculars that have nothing to do with you. The way you can pack away an entire plate of cheese fries and not feel guilty.  The way you always, always have a smile on your face when you speak about your sister.  And now, I can add _looking like a damned boss while you shoot the shit out of a target_.”

Katniss cringed, looking away at the ground.  She couldn’t look at him when he said things like that.  How on earth did he always have _all_ the words?  When - unless it was when she was talking about the aforementioned bunsen burners - she felt like she just had no damn clue what to say?

“Katniss?”

She looked up warily.  “Yeah?”

His hands reached up, cupping her face, pulling her to him, his mouth moving hotly over hers. She barely had a chance to catch her breath as he...well, she couldn’t think of anything except _devoured_ her.  She could feel his fingers tremble against her jaw, against her cheekbone, and she reached up to cover his hands with her own.  She allowed him to suck and nibble along the length of her bottom lip, and moaned slightly as he pulled away, his forehead resting against hers. “Just….trust me, ok?  You may not believe me, but I can’t even express how much I want to drag you into those woods over there and do things that wouldn’t be appropriate in front of those boys.”

Katniss flushed, and glanced over her shoulder at the three boys in their mid-teens, only about 100 metres away, watching them with slack jaws. She blushed, and couldn’t help the snort that escaped. “It’s probably a good thing that they’re here then.”

“I don’t think so,” Peeta muttered, and stalked towards the target.  

********

Katniss waited in line for the rec counter, where she needed to return the standard issue bow and arrows they’d hired that the start of their session - there was no way Peeta was getting his hands on the bow her father had crafted just yet.  He’d been tasked to grab them some drinks from the cafeteria, then meet her back here.  He’d - quite subtly, and with no alluded intention - suggested going back to her place to watch a movie or something, and she’d been surprised when there had been little hesitation on her part to say no.

She was just thankful she’d had the foresight to put on her new underwear this morning. Just in case.

“Hey Miss Everdeen!” Katniss paled as a hyper voice suddenly piped up behind her.

_This was something she hadn’t expected._

She turned - almost in slow motion - to see Rue smiling up at her.  “Oh, hey Rue.  What are you doing here?”

The pretty brunette gestured to the dark blue polo she wore.  “I got a job, helping out with the flying fox when the kids at the summer camp come in.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Katniss told her, mentally crossing off returning here with Peeta over the summer.  Not that she wanted to hide whatever they had going, she just wanted to….keep it between them for now.

 _Essentially the same thing, Katniss_.

“What about you, what are you doing here?  Weren’t you taking this summer off from leading hikes?”

_These kids actually paid attention to the things she said about her life?_

“Uh, yeah, I am, I-”

“Sorry I took so long, Katniss,” Peeta jogged up behind Rue, and was too busy smiling at the student to see Katniss’ frantically shaking her head.

“Hey Mr M! What are you doing here?  Are you….are you guys here _together_?” Rue glanced between them, a slow smile creeping across her face. Katniss choked, and her eyes widened, quickly turning away to face the counter, where she was thankful to be next in line.  She absently handed the bow and quiver of arrows to the teenager manning the desk, while she listened to Peeta speak with Rue.

“Yeah, Miss Everdeen offered to show me how to shoot.  They’re talking about having another teacher do archery next semester, along with her, so I figured if I can learn how to, I can teach it in the free periods when I have no art classes.”

Katniss couldn’t help the way her mouth dropped open in surprise.  The words had rolled off his tongue like they were the truth, and to her ears, they sounded perfectly legitimate.  She wondered what lies he’d told his parents during high school, and gotten away with blue murder as a result.

“Oh, well, that’s cool, I guess,” Rue replied, and Katniss could practically hear the disappointment in her voice at not getting any gossip for her friends about their teachers - _thankfully, because of Peeta._ “Alright, well, I’d better get back outside.  I’ll see you around?”

“Sure,” Katniss replied, turning back to her and smiling.  “Have a good day, Rue.”  They watched as the young girl skipped off outside, and she let out a breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding, her smile falling. “Shit, that was close.  Thanks.”

Peeta shrugged, tossed the two bottles of water in the duffel bag he’d dropped at his feet, and stuck his hands in his back pockets.  “You looked pretty terrified, is all. Like you didn’t want her to know about us.”

“I _don’t_.  Not yet, anyway.  Not when we’re still figuring things out between us.  I mean, she could have called ten people by now if you hadn’t headed her off.”  He shrugged again, and she could see the disappointment on his face.  “Peeta, remember that was the whole reason you took me to that restaurant, the one that was out of town?”

“Yeah, but….that was before Friday night,” Peeta told her.

She reached out, quickly squeezing his hand before dropping it again. “Look, I’m not downplaying that that night was a potential….game changer. But….I’d just prefer it if we went further afield if we do stuff.  It’s not that I don’t want to be seen with you Peeta.  It’s just, I dunno.  Maybe I’d like to keep you to myself for awhile.  Does that make sense?”

This time the smile was broad and quick across his face. “Yeah, makes sense.  As long as you’re not embarrassed by your younger man or anything.”

She rolled her eyes, kicking the side of the duffel in a prompt for him to pick it up. “Trust me, I’m more embarrassed by your archery skills than your age,” she muttered, and he nudged her in the ribs as they walked out.

********

The duffel got tossed unceremoniously on the hallway floor, and she moved into the kitchen, opening the fridge door.  “Ok, I got some cheese and crackers and….that’s about it.” Katniss sighed, remembered the hour long run she'd taken the day before to clear her head.  “I uh, didn’t get to the grocery store yesterday with all my other errands.”

“That’s ok,” Peeta said, walking in, smiling at the vase of sunflowers on the counter. She - in a moment of sheer madness the day before - had seen them in the florist and had bought them immediately. She wasn't entirely sure what that said of her right now.  “I’m not that hungry, but we can order a pizza later if you like.”

“Sounds good,” she agreed, slamming the door closed again.  “Do you, uh, just want to check out what’s on Netflix?”

"Sounds good," Peeta replied.  Nodding, she walked through to the lounge and scrolled through until she found something mindless but fun, plopping into the middle of the sofa.  She glanced up to see Peeta looking at her, amused.

“You alright?”

“Well….yeah.  But I can’t really pull the big ‘yawn and put my arm around your shoulder’ move if I’m in that-” he pointed to the single laz-e-boy that she’d bought as a comfort reminder of her father - “and you’re not leaving me much room on the sofa.”

Looking either side of her, she blushed.  “Sorry.  I rarely have anyone over, and if they do they normally claim the laz-e-boy.” She shifted over, gave him enough room to drop onto the seat beside her and - with a yawn of epic proportions - he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side.  She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but snuggle in.

She was out like a light within 5 minutes.

********

“Katniss?  Katniss, wake up. The movie is over.” His voice was soft against her ear, and she woke with a start, wiping at her chin automatically.  Madge had teased her when they’d both crashed at her place the night after Madge’s bachelorette party, at the thin line of drool that had crossed Katniss’ chin when they’d woken up severely hungover the next morning.  Luckily, right now, her chin was drool free.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she apologised, brushing hair out of her eyes that had come loose from her braid.

“I think I dozed off too.  And nothing against the movie, but all that fresh air must have taken it out of me.”

“Well, you’re more used to turpentine and paint than pine and grass,” Katniss pointed out with a yawn.

“Very true,” Peeta smiled.  He shifted in the seat so he was lying down, and pulled Katniss beside him.  His fingers deftly untwisted the band that tied her hair back, trailing his hand through the long strands until they cascaded across her back.  “We can sleep a little more if you like. I have nowhere else to be.”

She wrapped her arm around his waist, tucking her hand under so that it was held in the warmth between the sofa and his back, and nodded. This time she heard his faint snore before sleep took her under again.

********

She stretched and shifted, felt the remote or a flashlight or _something_ dig into her thigh. She wriggled, trying to move it, and then opened her eyes, face aflame as she realised she wasn't lying on the couch. She was lying sprawled across Peeta.

_That kind of explained the dream she’d just had. She wondered how much she moved against him in her sleep._

Katniss froze, tried to carefully edge her way off of him and back onto the safety of the couch cushions, when his hand gripped her upper arm.

"Don't move," he whispered. "You, uh, feel really good pressed up against me." He rolled his hips experimentally against hers and she nearly choked on her own intake of breath.

 _Definitely_ not the remote.

"And I, uh, like the sneak peek of what you've got going on under there."

Katniss' head lifted quickly, glanced down at her chest - _still_ _covered_ _thank_ _god_ \- before her gaze slid over, to where the black and orange strap peeked out from where the sleeve of her top had slid off her shoulder. She felt the pink rise on her cheeks as she figured _what the hell_ and went for honesty.

"I bought it for you," she murmured. "Well, ah for me to wear for you. Because yeah this isn't really something _you'd_ wear and I also saw Clove while...." _Shut up Katniss._

Peeta laughed - she could feel it echo against her ribs - and lifted her chin with a finger. "I get it. And the idea you bought something like that for me to see you in is like the biggest turn on ever. I'm glad I never knew before, otherwise I never would have hit the target." He traced a finger along the skinny length of the strap. "Can I see it?"

_Gahhhhh._

"I...I guess?"

She half sat up, fingers hesitantly reaching for the edge of her shirt. He reached out and stopped her, instead trapping her fingers with his. "Katniss, we only have to do this if you want to."

She looked down at him, eyes heavy with sleep, the way he was biting his lower lip, the way he was straining against his pants. With a determined nod, she clambered off him, and before she could think about it, stood, whipped the shirt off and stalked into her room.

His feet hit the floor before she could utter a word.

********

She'd barely turned the corner into her room when she felt his hands on her wrists and was backed up into the door, his legs framing hers and her hands locked by his at either side. His eyes roamed over her, taking in the bra she wore.

"Yup. Perfect," he muttered, then kissed her, long and wet and hard. "Wear this everytime we do archery."

"It's not-" she stopped as his lips began a trail down her neck, sucking on the sensitive skin below her ear. "Very....practical."

"Don't care," he murmured into her ear. "It's that or naked, remember?"

Katniss snorted, then held in a breath as his fingers reached for the button on her jeans. He slid the zipper down, pushing them past her hips, dragging them down until they hit the floor and she stepped out of them. She gripped the doorknob as he placed a tentative kiss on the inside of her thigh on his way back up.

Peeta stepped back, eyes drifting from her bare feet, over the matching bra and panties, up to her sleep mussed hair, and he rubbed a hand over his chest. "Christ, how did we get here?" He groaned. "You're so perfect."

"Hardly," she scoffed.

"To me you are," he said simply, and pulled her to him, his hands sliding down her back and over her ass, kneading the flesh there until her hips jerked against his. He pressed his mouth to her ear. "I wanna do something."

"O...okay..." she breathed, and allowed him to guide her to the bed - avoiding the jeans on the floor- before laying her down. He stripped off his own shirt - _ugh yes_ \- and knelt at her feet, slowly sliding his hands from her calves up to her thighs, coaxing them apart.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head at his intention.

She didn't feel the hand slide under her back to unclasp the bra, but she felt the mouth that covered her now freed breast, taking the dusky peak into it. She didn't feel the fingers that hooked over the side of the lacy bottoms she wore, but she felt the palm that pressed against her, warm and hard and soft all at once.

And she definitely felt the tongue that slid over her, felt the burst of tension at the base of her spine as it flattened against her. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't take them off of him, and the blonde waves she desperately wanted to touch and grip in her hands; so she did.

“Oh _godddddddd_ ,” she muttered, every swipe of his tongue against her causing a shiver that jerked up her spine, her back arching up from the mattress. She knew her thigh kept twitching, and his hand kept patiently pressing against it until it lay flush against the quilt again, distracting her each time with the flick of his tongue, the pressure of his lips.  And she swore she’d never look at that mouth again without thinking about _exactly_ what he could do with it.

His free hand trailed up her stomach, cupped her breast in his palm, his fingertips light across the warm flesh. She bit her lip, pressed herself against him a little more, her hips thrusting almost unconsciously as she felt everything begin to build inside her.  The echoing pull caused simultaneously by his fingers and his mouth made her close her eyes, made her head fall back just a little, the moan falling from her lips as the orgasm wracked through her. Her head was light, her body limp.

_And she could absolutely get used to this._

She glanced down lazily as she felt his chin rest against the small of her belly, his eyes dark, then watched as he crawled up the bed to lay beside her.  He took her lips with his, his mouth moving over hers hot, and wet and needy. His hands danced over her sweat slicked skin - _she really should turn the fan on_ \- and she slid hers up his chest, to his neck, pulling him closer. The feeling of his bare skin against hers fuelled an instantaneous need, and she knew there was no way he was leaving here tonight - _or tomorrow, whenever_ \- without him being inside her.

Katniss tugged anxiously at the waistband of his jeans, her fingers fumbling with the button until it popped free. In her hurry, she rose onto her knees, yanking them down his legs, freeing him from their confines.

_No boxers or briefs today. Interesting._

He shrugged at her curious gaze, twisted his hand into her hair, dragging her down for another kiss. Her hand reached out, palmed him, ran her hand slowly down his length two, three times, and he moaned into her mouth. He pulled away, staring up at her, panting. "I, uh, shit, I don't think I'm gonna last very long right now," Peeta admitted, and she couldn't help the way her eyebrow raised and her lips quirked. "I've just...really wanted this for a long time."

 _In all honesty, she didn't want to put it off any more either_.

Reaching over into the drawer beside her bed - this had been _one_ thing she'd remembered on her trip to the mall the day before, just in case - she retrieved the small silver square, closing her eyes as he leant up, capturing her nipple in his mouth as he did so.

She didn't let it distract her, tore the packet open and moved down his body to slide it over him, biting her lip as she rose up, taking his length inside her. Listened to the muffled groan that expelled from his lips as they simultaneously thrusted and rocked, as she experimentally began to shift her hips up and down against him, over him, around him.

Eyes locked, hands clasped, she rode him into oblivion.

********

Katniss opened her eyes, glanced over to where he was beside her, his breathing heavy, his own eyes still closed.  She took the opportunity to study him - the slight scar that marred his upper thigh, the arms that looked like they'd spent countless days at the gym, toning but not muscling into Arnie territory. The blonde hair that was curling just a little over his ears, the long, tangled eyelashes that currently hid the blue eyes that seemed to pin her every time. The v that graced his slim hips and, well.....

She certainly couldn’t deny that she liked the look of him naked.  The room hadn’t been light enough on Friday night to _fully_ appreciate him, and now, with the sunlight streaming in the window - _oh god, she’d had an orgasm during the day, without inducing it herself!_ \- well….it was worth it.

_ He _ _was worth it._

_More than worth it._

_Oh dear._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a...little bit of a departure for me ;)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr - I'm sponsormusings there as well.


	7. Chapter 7

His heart was a constant beat under her ear, a soft and steady _ba-dum_ _ba-dum ba-dum_.  His skin was smooth, the smattering of pale blond hair on his chest brushing against her cheek with the faintest of tickle.  His fingers drifted up and down her arm, the fingertips light and teasing on the olive skin.  It should have felt weird, her mind should have been running a mile a minute about how this wasn’t a great idea, how he shouldn’t be staying over _again_.  But at this time of the day it didn’t, and she wasn’t, and dammit, yes he should.

Katniss had gotten used to it in the last month.

Days had suddenly merged into weeks; and they’d spent more time of their summer vacation together than apart.  A day trip to the beach had ended with a hurried coupling in the back of his car _(another reminder that the old Katniss, who wouldn’t even climb over the console, was almost a distant memory)_ , a trip to the movies had them kissing in the back row like a pair of teenagers in high school. And at night they would sleep, exhausted, a tangle of limbs and sweaty sheets.

For once in her life, Katniss Everdeen was happy kind of being with someone.  And she wasn’t entirely freaked out by it.

_Not entirely._

“Morning.” Peeta’s voice was throaty, heavy with sleep. She twisted her head back, raising her eyes to his; the normally bright blue was hazy and unfocused, a crease mark from the pillow marring his cheek.

“Hey,” she replied.

"Sleep ok?"

"Mmm-hmm."

“What’s the time?”

She shrugged, lifting her head slightly to glance at the clock over her shoulder.  “Uh, 9.15.”

“A sleep in,” he grinned.

“It doesn’t count as a sleep in if I don’t get to sleep until 3,” she grumbled, but she didn’t really mean it. He chuckled, squeezing his hand around her arm.

“Sorry.  I guess I was a little...wound up.”

_She reminded herself that watching Jon and Ygritte get it on in a freaking cave just before bed probably wasn’t conducive to a decent night’s sleep._

Katniss rolled onto her back, stretching out her arm and pulling the pale green sheet up to her chin. “You don’t say.”

Peeta propped his head up on his hand, grinning down at her.  “I do say,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her.

_Yes, this had become her favourite part of the morning._

Her hand wound up into the back of his hair, her fingers tangling in the blond waves, tugging him closer, biting down gently on Peeta’s lower lip.  The groan was deep in the back of his throat, and she felt him twitch against her thigh, her toes curling in anticipation. Her lips parted, and tongues tangled lazily, bodies moved sinuously against each other.  

But even through heavy, mingled breaths, and the sliding of skin against skin, she could hear a key scrabbling in her front door; she sat up abruptly, pushing Peeta away from her, and almost off the bed.  She gasped as she heard the thud of the front door as it banged against the wall.

“Katniss?  You home?”

_Shit!_

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I am!  Just give me a sec, I just got out of the shower!”  She jumped up from the bed, slammed her bedroom door closed, then whirled to face Peeta.  He sat stark naked on her bed, eyebrow raised in amusement. Katniss picked up the pants he’d discarded in a hurry the night before, threw them at his head. “Shit, Peeta, get dressed!  My _sister_ is here! Fuck!”

“So? I mean happy to-”

She yanked on his arm, pulling him up from the bed, and he stood in the centre of the room, pants clutched in his hand, covering his obvious erection.  She tugged on the end of her sleep tousled braid.  “Peeta, my sister doesn’t know I’m _seeing-seeing_ you!”

“What does _seeing-seeing_ mean?”

Katniss raised her hands in frustration, before waving her hand between the two of them.  “Like, more than just dating! Gah, now is not the time for semantics!”

“But she knows you’ve seen a guy naked before right? Knows you’ve had sex?”

“Yes - no - I don’t know!  It doesn’t matter!  Get-” her words cut off as he yanked her to him, pressing his lips forcefully to hers.  He dropped the jeans, the hard length of him resting against her stomach as he pulled her in closer. _She liked the feel of him up against her, wished she could pop up on her toes and wrap her legs around his waist and-_

She pulled away, whacking him lightly on the arm. “Smooth moves,” she hissed.  “Now please, get dressed, then totally pretend you came out of the other bedroom.”

“I highly doubt your sister will believe whatever we tell her,” he grinned.

“It doesn’t matter,” she retorted.  Peeta smirked, slid the jeans up his legs, over his ass, but left the top button undone.  He slipped the Avengers t-shirt he’d worn - simply to piss her off - over his head, ran his hand through his rumpled waves.

“Alright, I’ll go say hi to Prim.”

“Good.”

“Ok.”

“Ok.” They stared at each other, before small grins appeared on both their faces.  She shooed him towards the door impatiently, and he nodded.

“By the way - I’m gonna need some more clarification on the ‘ _more than just dating_ ’ comment.” He stealthily opened the door, peered around the corner and wandered out of it with a wink over his shoulder. She sighed, and stomped her way over to her dresser.

********

She knew Prim was eyeing them suspiciously, but she chose to ignore it. Peeta's simple explanation of falling asleep watching tv and bunking in the spare room hadn't fooled anyone, but Prim had the decency not to question it any further.

At least, Katniss thought, until Peeta left. _Then_ she could only imagine the interrogation she was going to get.

She listened with half an ear as Prim and Peeta made small talk, and focused on the mug in her hand. She'd needed the coffee like a dying man needed water this morning, and if she kept going the way she was, she'd be a jittery mess by midday.

"So how long are you in town for?" Peeta asked, and Katniss glanced at Prim, curious to know the answer as well.

"Just a couple of days. I had to pull some strings to get a few off in a row, but seeing as Kat has been a lazy ass and hasn't come to see me....." she trailed off, pushing her hair - worn in a straight blonde waterfall - over her shoulder. "Although now I guess I understand why."

"Primmmmm," Katniss warned with a glare.

"What?" She shrugged innocently, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Peeta cleared his throat, rose to his feet. "Uh, I'm gonna go, there were chores I didn't get to do last night," he announced, still playing along with the pretence that none of them believed. He walked over to the side table where he'd tossed his keys and wallet the night before, and turned, hand raised in an awkward half wave. "I'll see you later b-Katniss. Nice to meet you, Prim." He let himself out, leaving the two sisters sitting quietly. Katniss could hear the ticking of the clock in the kitchen, the faint whirr of the fan that was still oscillating in her bedroom.

Prim was the one to finally break the silence, turning in her seat with a wide grin on her face.  "Oh my god, Katniss! _That_ is what's been keeping you from visiting?!"

"Shut up!" Katniss hissed.

"Nuh-huh. This is _important_. Kat, you had a guy sleep over, and as far as I know, that hasn't happened since Darius.  And I can't ever remember him calling you 'babe'."

"Neither did Peeta," Katniss countered, though she knew he'd gotten into a habit of it. She figured she'd hate it, had always hated pet names.

_She kind of didn't._

"He almost did, as he went out," Prim pointed out. She sat back in her chair, laced her fingers behind her head. "Aww, my big sister is growing up!"

Katniss glared at her, and stood, the flush on her cheeks growing hotter as she swiped breakfast dishes from the table. This was ridiculous. She was getting embarrassed by her younger sister teasing her over a boyfriend of all things. And really, they'd never _established_ what they were anyway. Which made her comment to Peeta in the bedroom all the more a difficult one to explain.

She stormed into the kitchen, yanked open the door to the dishwasher and began jamming things in randomly. She heard Prim's quiet footsteps enter behind her.

"Kat, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to piss you off," she said tentatively. "It's just-"

"It's just what?" Katniss turned, eyes wild.

Prim rested her palms on the counter, boosting herself up; her heels thudded against the cupboard below.  “I just sat there with the two of you for 45 minutes, and there was more chemistry throwing itself about the table since….well, I don’t even know since what.  And I’m not 15 anymore, Katniss.  I don’t believe he crashed in your spare room any more than you believe that Ad and I have separate bedrooms.”

Katniss stuck her fingers in her ears. “I didn’t hear that, I didn’t hear that!” she muttered. Prim reached out, slapped at her arm.

“Stop being stupid.  Look, I’m not here to get involved, or make you feel awkward or whatever.  I only came to see you.  But just know if you want to talk about Peeta, or whatever you guys have going on, I’m here, ok?”

Katniss turned, studiously closed the door to the dishwasher before nodding.  “I know, Prim. Thanks.”  She heard her sisters feet hit the floor, then felt her skinny, pale arms slide around her waist.  Her head rested on the back of Katniss’, and she squeezed her tightly.

“I’m glad you’re happy, Kat, even if you won’t admit it to me. And your boyfriend is cute.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Katniss responded quietly.  She felt Prim shrug, then step away.

“Whatever he is, he’s cute.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go to the mall.”

Prim laughed.  “You want to go to the mall?  Geez, you _really_ don’t want to talk about this.”

Katniss turned and poked her in the stomach, allowing a smile to cross her face. “Shut up, Little Duck, and appreciate my offer of the mall.”

Prim grinned.  “Will do.”

********

It was odd, seeing the two of them together. Two blonde heads pressed close as they studied the scorecard in front of them, a laugh from each echoing the other.  If she didn’t know any better, looking at them, she’d swear they were siblings. At least, Prim and Peeta looked more like each other than Prim and Katniss ever had.

“Kat, you’re up! And you have to get at least a spare to beat Peeta here,” Prim gestured towards Peeta with her thumb, and sucked on the straw of her mega-sized soda. Katniss shrugged, knowing she had this in the bag.  

Prim’s visit had been a busy one.  A trip to the mall - which Katniss had immediately regretted - a marathon of _New Girl_ \- which Katniss still wasn’t sold on, but Prim loved - a hike through the forest and now this, bowling at the local alley.  Prim had insisted Peeta join them, and as Katniss hadn’t seen him in three days, she agreed with less protestation than she supposed Prim had expected.  She’d surprised herself; she’d expected a grumble to fall from her lips and her eyes to roll.

Neither had happened.

Now, watching her sister and Peeta laugh and mock each other’s bowling shoes, and the warmth that seemed to flow through her blood at the sight of it, she realised she was venturing into dangerous territory.

Shaking her head of the thoughts that both simultaneously terrified her and made her stomach twist nervously, she grabbed the pale orange ball she’d selected at the start of the game, and prepared to wipe the floor of them.

********

The apartment felt empty without Prim.  In four days, the two sisters had fallen back into the routine they’d known so well throughout their teenage years; breakfasts, hair braids, and stupid arguments over the bathroom.  But if there was one unwelcome change that came with Prim’s visit, it was the rearing of the ugly head of the past. And she knew if she was serious about Peeta - _if the feelings and thoughts that had hit her again during the bowling excursion were anything to go by -_ then she needed to tell him about her dad, have the dreaded _ex_ conversation.

She just wasn’t sure if she was ready to share.

She didn't have time to think about it right now anyway.  She had a party to prepare for, and it was going to take all of her energy to get through it.

********

Katniss dropped her head onto the butcher block table, letting out a groan.  “Why did we agree to go to this thing again?”

Madge laughed, her head in the fridge and her ass wriggling to the rock music Gale had blaring out on the back deck. Her skirt swirled wildly around her hips.  “Because if we didn’t, we’d hear about it from Clove _forever._ ” Madge shut the fridge door with her hip, balancing a plate of meat in one hand, two beers in the other.  Katniss picked up the opener off the table, reaching out and relieving Madge of the bottles.

“Do you even know what we’re doing?”

“Nope.  Apparently we just have to be at her bridesmaid’s house at 6.  I’m tipping a stripper, followed by dinner, and then enough drinks to numb the pain.”

Katniss popped the top off one bottle. “I just haaaaate bachelorette parties,” she groaned.

“Thanks,” Madge said wryly, waggling the fingers of her left hand in Katniss’ direction before flipping her the bird.

Katniss waved a hand dismissively.  “Yours was fine.  Except when your mom wanted to do speeches.”

Madge grimaced.  “Yeah, that was awkward.” She turned to the pantry, grabbing spices at random from the shelf.  “Anyway, enough about that for now, we’ll be in hell soon enough.  How’s your sister?  Was it good to catch up?”

Katniss glanced at her curiously, reaching for the second bottle.  “How did you know Prim was here? We haven’t spoken all week - you’ve been out at the lake with Gale, remember?” Madge visibly started, then blushed, and began seasoning the meat with more intensity than required. Katniss narrowed her eyes.  “Madge.  What aren’t you telling me?”

“Um….I knew Prim was coming to town. She, er, blogged about it.”

“She what?” The bottle top popped off with a sharp snap.

Madge turned to her and shrugged.  “On her tumblr.  She said she wasn’t going to be online very much because she was going to see her sister as a surprise.”

Katniss rolled her eyes, gulped down some of the beer.  “My sister is apparently busy every moment of every day at the hospital, but still finds time to post pictures of kittens and some tv character called Dean?”

Leaning against the bench, Madge chuckled.  “I see you checked it out.”

“I looked at it when you first told me; but it’s weird, and I hate that social media stuff.  I don’t even have a Facebook.”

“I know,” the blonde replied, shaking her head.  “I dunno, Prim probably sets up a queue when she has time off, so that it posts on a regular schedule.”

“A what?  A queue?”

Madge waved a hand impatiently, reaching for her beer.  “Never mind.  Anyway, that’s how I found out she was coming.  I promised her I wouldn’t tell.”

“Yeah, well, because of that, Prim practically walked in on Peeta and I about to have sex.”

Choking on her beer, Madge spluttered the amber liquid all over the counter. “Oh god,” she managed.  “I’m sorry.”

“So am I.  5 minutes more and-”

“Hey Catnip!” Gale strode in the back door, interrupting Katniss mid-sentence.  He had a pair of tongs in one hand, a beer in the other, a streak of charcoal across his cheek. He bent to drop a quick kiss to the top of her head. “Where’s the art teacher?”

Katniss stuck her tongue out at him.  “He’s on his way.  We're not together every minute of every day you know.”

“Not what Madge tells me,” he quipped with a smirk. Katniss glanced over at Madge, who had found the marinating steaks exceptionally interesting again.

“You guys are as bad as each other,” she mumbled.

“Oh, come on.  You know I just like giving you shit,” Gale grinned.

“Oh trust me, I know,” Katniss retorted.  The doorbell chimed, and Katniss leaped out of her chair, missing the look Madge and Gale exchanged as she headed for the door.  She flung it open to find Peeta, shuffling his feet, his hands shoved in his pockets. Even in summer he continued to wear long sleeve shirts with the sleeves rolled up.  She knew it was for her benefit.

_Some days she both loathed and loved the fact that he’d read her list._

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” he replied.  He held his hands out, shrugging.  “I feel kinda empty handed.  Are you sure I didn’t need to bring anything?”

“I’m sure,” Katniss told him, opening the door wider.  He stepped in, planted a quick kiss on her cheek.  “Gale is 100% prepared for Poker Night.”

“Ah, so the cash really _is_ all I needed tonight,” he grinned.

“Yup.  That, and a stomach ready for steak, beer, and guy talk.”

“Guy talk?”

“You know.  Football, baseball, what girl the single guys are trying to go after lately.”

Peeta’s eyebrows rose up in surprise, and he slid an arm around her waist.  “Well, that sounds….interesting.  Maybe I should tell them about the girl I’m going after.” He leant back, studied her for a moment.  “I do love this dress, you know,” he told her, eyes scanning the wrap dress she’d worn on their second date.

She smiled, trying to ignore the flutter in her belly. “Tha-”

“Katniss, for fucks sake, let the guy come in!” Gale yelled from the kitchen.

Peeta chuckled, allowing Katniss to lead him towards the back of the house.  “Should I feel pleased I made the list for Poker Night?”

“You should,” Katniss replied seriously.  “It’s the highest honour.”  She continued to lead him down the hall, then stopped abruptly just before they stepped into the kitchen.  “Uh, just one thing.  Some of the guys coming tonight are partners of teachers at school.  So if you could, um….”

His arm slowly slid from around her, and she felt the change in him immediately.  “Even after the last month, you still don’t want to tell people,” Peeta said flatly.

“It’s not that!” she protested.  “It’s just…..” Trailing off, she dragged him back into the small lounge room before continuing.  “Look, it’s fair to say we’ve established we like each other and enjoy….things and stuff.  But I don’t want people to know and then it come back and bite us in the ass when we go back to school.”

“How?” Peeta asked, leaning against the door frame.  He hadn’t followed her in, not completely.  “I’m not planning on _not_ ‘seeing-seeing’ you anytime soon.”

Katniss blushed, knowing she still hadn’t clarified with him what she meant.  “I get it, I know.  And I feel the only thing I can say right now is it’s not you, it’s me-”

“This sounds like a ‘Dear John’ conversation,” he replied, crossing his arms.

Impatiently pushing the hair she’d left out in a mass of waves - with help from Prim - back off her shoulders, she shook her head.  “It’s not it.  All I’m asking...just for now, is to not say anything about us to these guys.  If they’re anything like Gale and Madge, they’ll be spilling their guts to their wives within 5 minutes of getting home. Remember what I told you when we saw Rue?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it still stands.  In 6 weeks we’ll be back at school, and we’re not going to have this kind of time together that we’ve been able to have.  So, just….please.”

She wondered if she’d been able to express herself clearly enough, or whether what she said made sense.  Because she didn’t even know if what she was _thinking_ made any sense.  At all.  She watched him, not even realising her eyes were wide and pleading, the silver-rimmed grey wavering enough for him to think she might - just might - cry if she had to say anything more. Finally, he sighed.

"You're gonna have to figure out which one it is, Katniss. Are you scared this will be over before we go back to school, or do you want to keep me to yourself? Because I'm just confused with what you’re trying to tell me right now." She could see his cheek flex and tense as he set his jaw.

"I.....I know," she admitted faintly. _She was confusing herself._

"I'll do it for now. But we need to talk," he agreed, though she could still see the reluctance in his own eyes.

“What the hell, guys, are you-” Gale turned the corner, stopped short when he both saw and felt the tension in the room.  “Er, ok, I’m just gonna go back to the kitchen, forget I was even here…” he walked backwards, one, two, three steps until he was out of sight.  Katniss sighed, dropped her head in her hands.  

“Sorry.  You should go on back there.  I’m going to stay in here.”

“You sure?” Even though she could tell he was pissed at her, he was still worried about her.   _He was a damned knight in shining armour._

“Yeah.  I don’t want to ruin your night any more.  Let Madge know I’ll be in here waiting for her if she wants to call a cab now.”

She listened to him breathe for a moment, before he walked away, his footsteps receding down the hall.  She didn’t watch.   _How to screw things up in 5 seconds, by Katniss Everdeen_.

Maybe she should have been a writer, because she sure as hell sucked as a dater.

********

“I haven’t seen one that big since I was about 16.”

“16? Geez, Julie, what have you been doing since then?”

“Sleeping with a guy who doesn’t look like he’s going to poleaxe me, that’s what.”

Katniss almost choked on the mini-quiche she was trying to force down.  Strippers at bachelorette parties were one thing; she could at least avert her gaze.  Hearing women she worked with - or the mother of the bride, _dear god_ \- discuss _sizes_ of all things was another matter entirely.

Inching off her seat, she slid out around the back of the group of women who were lamenting the departure of the three strippers, to where she’d last seen Madge.  She spied her, martini in hand, still whispering in the corner with Chantal. Katniss slumped into the seat beside her and sighed.  “I can’t deal with these conversations I’m hearing,” Katniss complained.

Madge turned to her, sloshing the martini in her glass. “About the strippers?”  Katniss nodded.  Madge shrugged. “Eh, they weren’t even hot.”

“That’s not the _point_ ,” Katniss hissed.  “I heard Clove’s mom before telling someone one of them looked like a guy she dated in high school and wouldn’t mind taking him into the bathroom to relive her ‘teenage memories’.”

The two women broke out into giggles, but Katniss couldn’t do anything more than roll her eyes.  “Oh, lighten up, Kat.  It’s just a bit of fun,” Chantal told her with a wink.

“Yeah, but…”

“You hate bachelorette parties,” Madge nudged her, a slight slur in her voice.   _Geez, Madge was drunk already?_

_“_ Yeah I do.  And are you drunk already?”

Madge shrugged.  “Eh, yeah, on my way to it for sure.  We got like another 5 hours at least of this.  Drink up, woman, so you’re appropriately soused for the conversations that are likely to happen over the course of the night.  Somehow, I don’t think this is gonna be a lady-like party. Plus after the little to-do you had at my house-”

“What to-do?” Chantal piped up, interest piqued.  

Katniss waved a hand, simultaneously glaring at Madge and retrieving a glass of champagne from the table beside them.  “Nothing.  I just-”

“Had an argument with Gale!” Madge piped up.

“Oh,” Chantal lamented.  “Well that’s boring.  You guys are always having arguments.” She stood, brushing down the skirt of the dress she decidedly looked uncomfortable in - Chantal hated dresses possibly more than Katniss did.  “I’m gonna hit up the bathroom.  And hope to God Clove’s mom isn’t in there.”  She walked away, picking up a champagne flute on the way and downing it in one gulp.

“Oh boy,” Katniss commented.  “She’s gonna be messy by the end of the night.”

“She just can’t believe Clove is getting married before her.”

“ _No one_ can believe Clove is getting married before anyone who isn’t married,” Katniss replied.  She reached out, squeezed Madge’s fingers.  “Thanks for covering for me. I just….”

“I know,” her friend replied softly.  “And it’s ok.  Just have a few drinks, loosen up.  Try not to scowl while you’re here, people might think you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Ha!” Katniss replied.  But she reached for another drink anyway. She figured she’d need it.

********

There were some nights where 5 drinks were enough to get you through.

Clove Anderson’s bachelorette party wasn’t one of them.

The strippers had only been the start.  Ridiculous games had followed - including one where 9/10 women pinned a dick on a head rather than the anatomically correct place - along with dinner at a karaoke bar where Clove’s mom had inadvertently taken the spotlight from her daughter with an ear-piercing rendition of _Wrecking Ball_.

Now they were at a swanky new bar that Clove’s best friend Glimmer - _a name that had entirely deserved the eye-roll that she and Madge had almost done simultaneously_ \- had recommended, and the dark lighting, leather seats and pounding beats didn’t, and couldn’t, disguise the fact that she was willingly hanging out with a bunch of women who were either married, on the way there or eager as all hell for it.

Katniss couldn’t even begin to explain what _seeing-seeing_ meant, let alone wanting to think about _marriage_ of all things.  And being surrounded by it made her feel like the biggest bitch in the world.  Here was Clove committing to a douchebag like Cato, and she couldn’t even admit to anyone that she was seeing a guy whose only fault so far was his taste in movies and his ability with a bow and arrow.

So, to forget all of the above, Katniss had a cocktail. Or two.  Or three. And proceeded to talk Madge’s ear off for an hour as to how bad she felt about what she’d asked Peeta to do - or rather, what _not_ to say.

“Katnissh!” Madge eventually groaned. _Yeah, she was drunk._ “If you feel that bad about it, go and aplo-apoly- _apologise_ to him!”

“But it’s late.  And I already ruined his night.” Katniss glanced around her, making sure no-one was listening.

“Trusht me.  Ash long as Gale didn’t fleesh him of all his money, he’ll be _fine_.” Madge dropped her head back, resting it on the long length of the leather bench behind her. “Kat, I don’t want to shay thish again.  But he sheems to make you happy….you need to quit dicking around.”

“But-”

“No butsh, Kat.  You feel bad and want to aplo...shay shorry, go do it.”

Katniss watched as her friends eyes slowly glazed over, and smiled.  Even if she didn’tknow exactly what _seeing-seeing_ met yet, she knew what sorry meant.  And as much as she hated saying sorry, she knew she had to.  She couldn't wait until tomorrow, needed to apologise now for how she'd acted earlier.

She knew didn't _want_ to put on a show, didn't _want_ to pretend they weren't together. It didn't matter what she wanted though; she couldn't help her instinct, her almost knee-jerk response when faced with 'coming out', so to speak. So while it might take her time to get to the place where she wouldn't, she knew she could at least do _this_.

Planting a smushed up kiss onto Madge’s cheek, she grinned.  “You kay to get home?”

“Mmm-hmm.  Go get him, Tiger.”

********

She'd been to his place only once before; with her subscription to Netflix, they always found their way back to her apartment. But she’d remembered the address, directed the cab driver there and only paused, second guessing herself, for a moment.  With a determined breath, she stumbled slightly up the front stairs of his block, punched in the 6 digit code he'd casually mentioned after her visit, and stalked into the small lobby. Taking unsteady steps up the stairs, she practiced what she was going to say, only occasionally giggling to herself.

_The giggling itself was a good indication she was nervous or drunk. Or a little of both._

Reaching the landing for the third floor, she headed straight for his apartment door and knocked.

And knocked again.

And again. No answer.

With a sigh, she realised he'd probably crashed at the Hawthornes, and she slid to the floor, back to the door. _Well, that was a waste of_ -

The door suddenly yanked open, and she toppled backwards onto the wooden floor below. Flat on her back, she glanced up to see Peeta staring down at her wearily, rubbing his eyes.

"Katniss what the hell are you doing here?" Peeta mumbled, hand clenched around the edge of the door.

"Uh...." _Katniss, you've seen him in boxer briefs before, get your shit together._ "I wanted to say sorry?"

"Sorry?"

"Yeah. For earlier?" _Why did she keep saying things like it was a question?_

He sighed, then bent down, clasping his hand around her arm and helping her to her feet. "Are you drunk?"

She snorted. "A little." She shrugged as he closed the door behind them, appreciated the muscles in his back as he did so. It was almost instinctive the way she moved up against him, slid her arms around his waist. "You look pretty."

Peeta snorted back, allowed his hands to rest on hers for a moment. "Thanks. Do you want water or something? To lie down on the sofa?"

Katniss chuckled, and the drinks she'd made work of across the course of the night made it throatier, deeper. She pulled him closer to her, pressing herself against the warm flesh of his back. "Nuh-huh. Just you. I hope you don't mind."

“No….but you’re drunk.”

“This isn’t our first time, Peeta,” she whispered in his ear, popping up onto her toes.  “I’m not going to regret it in the morning.”

He turned, dropping his hands lightly to her hips. “I thought you were here to apologise?”

Katniss sighed, dropped her head to his chest.  “I am.  I’m...I’m sorry.  I’ve probably already had to say this to you ten times, and I’ll probably have to say it another ten.  And each time, I probably make no more sense than the last.”

“Will you try and explain it?”

She took a deep breath, the alcohol swimming in her head.  “I’ll try...but can it wait until tomorrow?”

“It’s 2am.  It _is_ tomorrow.”

“When the sun is up?”

His hand reached up, his fingers curling around her chin and tipping her head up. His blue eyes searched her grey ones, and his were so intent, so _serious_ , she wondered how on earth she could ever have thought of dismissing him for something as stupid as a shitty little age gap.  Finally he sighed.  “Ok then.  Now, c’mon, let’s get you some sleep.”

“I don’t want to sleep.”  She popped up on her toes, pressed her lips to his.  “Take me to bed.” He began to shake his head, before her lips trailed along his jaw, along to the juncture of his neck and shoulder, where she nibbled gently at the soft skin. "Now."

She felt his body relax against hers slightly, the deep breath he took. “ _Please_.  Manners, Miss Everdeen.  What would the school secretary say if she knew you didn’t say please?”

“I don’t give a shit what Ms Trinket would say,” she muttered, sliding her fingers inside the waistband of his boxers. She leant back, looked up at him.  “I promise we'll talk in the morning. Just know that I'm here because I want to be. I want to be with you. So please...just take me to bed.”

“Well,” Peeta trailed off. She could practically see the inner argument he was having with himself. But he didn't say anything else, just crushed his mouth to hers. The morning would come soon enough for both of them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note there is a reference to domestic violence in this chapter. It's not too heavy or in depth, but I figured it was right to mention it upfront anyway.

_Why the hell was a marching band in her head? And worse, why were they playing that One Direction song the girls at school loved?  On repeat?_

_Urghhhh._

The pillow under Katniss’ head was soft, plumper than she was used to.  Even through her closed eyes, she could feel the sun slanting over her body in a different angle than it would in her own room, and she felt her brow furrow in confusion.  She popped one eye open, though it was an effort - it felt like it was weighted down with anvils, or caked in cement. Taking a quick scan around the room, she confirmed it wasn't hers.  And that she had what suspiciously felt exactly like a hangover.

Her throat was raw - someone must have coated it in sandpaper overnight - while her head pounded like a drum had replaced her brain. Her belly shifted and lurched, an odd gurgling making her regret that last cocktail, whatever the hell it was.

What _wasn't_ a problem, though, was her memory. Katniss could get as rat-faced as she wanted, and she would always, always remember. And she remembered going to Peeta's door in the middle of the night, and practically begging him to take her to bed.

And falling asleep in his arms before she even hit the mattress.

_If she wasn't 90% sure the force would push her head off her shoulders, she'd_ _face-palm_.

Slowly opening her other eye, she glanced about the sparsely furnished room. It didn't carry much - a giant bed, a chest of drawers, a wildly abstract painting on the far wall in swirls of red and yellow and orange - but what was noticeably missing was Peeta. With a groan, she pushed herself into a sitting position, her legs dangling off the mattress. The room wasn't spinning, at least, so that was a good thing. But with more effort than would be required on any other day of the week, she edged off the side of the bed, wearily putting one foot in front of the other as she shuffled out of the bedroom and into the small bathroom across the hall.

It wasn't until she was done and was washing her hands that she chanced a glance in the mirror, and regretted it immediately. Black eye make-up streaked across her cheeks, her hair a wild mass of knotted waves. Her eyes were only slightly bloodshot, but they looked as tired as hell.  She dipped her head towards the tap, gulped down some of the cool water.

"Katniss?" His voice was quiet as he knocked slightly on the door, and she raised her head. "Are you ok?”  The best she could do was a muffled groan, and she heard him chuckle.  “Alright then.  I've put a towel in there; you can have a shower if you like."

_Bless you, you glorious man._

"Er thanks," she croaked. "I will." He didn't say anything in response; she just heard the faint padding of feet as he walked away.

Stripping off her clothes she stepped into the shower, blasting the water as hot as she could take it. It sluiced over her, washing away her make up, and the lingering smell of _'eau de bar with lots of alcohol'_ that seemed to permeate her hair.  Even getting rid of that smell made her feel ten times better, made her feel a little more human.

Until she remembered what she'd promised Peeta the night before, and she let her head fall against the shower wall, a move she immediately regretted. _Dammit_.  It wasn’t even as if she had awful, life-changing things to tell him; they were simply things that were important to her. She just hated re-visiting the past, especially when she’d done her best to move past it all.

She twisted the taps, turning the water off abruptly and pushed open the glass door to release the steam that had collected in the shower. Reaching for the towel he’d placed on top of a tall, slim cabinet, she rubbed it against her skin furiously, then stopped short.  Underneath where the towel had lay was a green t-shirt, a pair of dark grey sweatpants.  He really _had_ thought of everything.

In her entire life, she had never met anyone like Peeta Mellark.

Slipping on her bra, the t-shirt and sweatpants – the _University of Panem_ shirt was slightly too big, but the pants were fine if she pulled the drawstring tight - and balling up the dress and her underwear, she quickly finger combed and braided her hair.  It was still a little knotty, but it was the best she was going to be able to do in her current condition.

She left the discarded clothes on top of the cabinet – she could retrieve them later, after she’d apologised for being a drunken ass – and moved out into the hallway, following the delicious scent of coffee.  She found him in his kitchen, sitting at the small, two-person table that was tucked under a window, scribbling away on a pad of paper.  He had on a pair of gym shorts, and a faded blue t-shirt that pronounced he wore sunglasses at night.  He looked up at her and smiled, closing the notepad as she walked in.

“Hey.   There’s coffee there if you need it.  I haven’t cooked anything for breakfast, I wasn’t sure if you’d be up for eating.”

With narrowed eyes, she dropped into the seat across from him.  She felt ten times better sitting than on her feet, where she was a bit too far from the ground. “Alright, Mellark, what gives?”

“What?”

“How the hell are you so….. _nice_?”  She propped her elbows on the table, cupped her chin in her hands.  Her head still felt a little wobbly.  “I act like a general ass to you yesterday, then come in here drunk at 2 in the morning, beg you to take me to bed, then fall asleep.  No doubt I snored as well.  And you’re still _nice_ to me, you haven't kicked me out.  I deserve to get booted out your door.”

He chuckled, standing to pour her coffee.  He remembered exactly how she liked it, placing it in front of her, along with a glass of water and two Excedrin. She popped them eagerly, gulping down the cold water. “You still don’t get it, do you?”  He plopped back down in his seat, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles.  “I like you, Katniss.  A lot.  I’ve got my eccentricities and hang ups, you’ve got yours. It doesn't matter in the long run, as long as we both know what they are. And anyway, we’ve all been drunk and done stupid things before, so that doesn't even count.”

Katniss raised an eyebrow.  “Name one.”

"What?"

"Name one stupid drunk thing you've done before."

“One?” Peeta laughed.  “Katniss, I could easily give you 20 stupid things I’ve done because I was drunk.”

“One.”

“Fine.”  He leant back a little more in his chair, folded his hands behind his head.  “It was Aaran’s 21st, and I was 19.  We may or may not have toilet papered our old math teachers house, then passed out in the playground at a McDonalds.”

"That's more immature than stupid."

"I don't see much of a difference."

Katniss’ lips twitched, and reached for her mug, sipping at her coffee.  “Ever shown up at a girls’ door at 2am?”

“Not that I can remember,” he grinned, sipping at his own drink.   _Tea, milk, no sugar._

They drank in silence for a moment before she shook her head slowly, and sighed.  “You have the patience of a saint, Peeta."

He shrugged. "I guess that bodes well for my teaching career, doesn't it?"

Katniss hummed, but it sounded strangled in her throat.  "Alright, I'm not going to put it off any longer.  I’m...I'm really sorry for last night, and yesterday.  I know I promised you answers.  They’re not particularly exciting or life-altering ones, but I figured I should just air it all and whatever.”

So, with a deep breath, she told him of Darius, of the college boyfriend who had eventually become her fiancé because it was expected of them, because everyone figured that’s the direction they’d been heading, and they went along for the ride.  How she’d told him she’d loved him, and it had never been hard to say, because she’d later realised she’d never meant it, not in _that_ way.  How, 6 months out from their wedding, they’d calmly and politely agreed to end it before they hated each other.  How she’d been ostracised by their entire friendship base because she’d been blamed for the breakup, no matter how many times Darius had protested against their assumptions. How she'd missed out on a student teacher position because the person hiring had been a close, personal friend of Darius' bitter mother. So eventually she’d done the only thing she could think of – she cut ties, applied for positions as far away from the university as possible and gotten out of dodge.

Peeta waited until she’d finished, before clearing his throat.  “Your college friends sound like assholes if they’d take sides like that.”

Katniss ran her finger around the rim of her mug absently.  “Yeah, I dunno.  I figure at that time of your life you make a lot of bad decisions, and unfortunately for me, that included friends.  There were a couple who were still friendly to me, but most sided with Darius, even though he tried to correct them.”

“Obviously not enough,” he retorted.

“Maybe, maybe not.  Darius came from a kind of…prominent family in the area.  I think a lot of people sided with him because it seemed like the smart thing to do.”

Peeta toyed with the hem of his shirt. “So you’re worried that if we, um, stop _this_ after people find out, they’ll blame you?”

“No…yes…I don’t know.” She let go of the mug, dropped her head into her hands.  “I don’t even understand why.  I just…like the school, and like the life I’ve made here, and I kind of don’t want to upset the cart or whatever.”

“Katniss.” His voice was firm, and he waited for her to look up at him before continuing.  “I don’t know where this is going.  But do you have to think about the worst case scenario before we’ve even really explored anything together? Because that's what it feels like you're doing."

She looked away, towards the window and the bright blue sky outside.  “That’s the other thing,” she said quietly.  “I’m not sure I’m built for anything serious anyway.”

“What?” Peeta replied, his lips pursing in confusion.  “You just finished telling me you were engaged to a guy.”

“Yeah, one I didn’t love, and I knew it,” Katniss snapped, looking back at him.  “ _That’s_ how it got so far.  I wasn’t worried about losing him.”

“Why would you worry about that?”

“Because…..” she trailed off, took a deep breath.  “Because my mom lost my dad, and she’s never really been the same.  And I never, ever want to go through what she did.” Cupping her hands around the quickly cooling mug again, she explained her dad’s death in a work accident, of how her mom had withdrawn in the immediate years, and how long it had taken her to return to some semblance of normal again.  How she never wanted to feel that way, or have to worry again the way she and Prim had throughout their early teens with little to no parental guidance.

Peeta reached his hand out, covered hers.  “This is the same accident that claimed Gale’s dad, yeah?” She nodded, not even bothering to stop herself from turning her hand and twisting her fingers through his. “Then I’m sorry you guys had to experience that, I can't imagine what that was like to go through.  But we’re all our own people, Katniss, we deal with these type of things differently.  You can’t have any guarantees, one way or another.  But do you want to close yourself off to things on the off chance it doesn’t go well?" He paused, brushed his thumb idly against hers. "If these are the things that are stopping you from defining _seeing-seeing_ , and telling people that we’re doing whatever that is, then that’s fine, I understand, and I’ll give you the time you need.  But can I tell _you_ something?”

She nodded, watched as he licked his lips, took a deep breath.  “My mom…sucks.  And that’s putting it nicely.  She’s a recovering alcoholic, though I can’t say how recovered she is.  I haven’t seen her in about 9 years, when she hit me in front of my dad.  He walked her out that day." He ran a hand across his face, scratched at the faint 5 o’clock shadow he sported. "Do I worry that maybe that part of her is in me?  Yes.  Do I let that stop me about wanting to have a family of my own one day?  No.  Because the good – my dad, my brothers – outweigh the bad. We all have baggage, Katniss.  It’s just up to us what we do with it.”

“She…she _hit_ you?”  Katniss had barely processed anything past that part of the conversation.

Peeta glanced down at the table, and nodded.  “Yeah.  Not often, but enough.  She never did it in front of dad until that time.  Once was enough for him, although when my brothers and I told him how long it had been going on, he was both livid and horrified.  He couldn’t believe he’d missed all the signs, but mom was sneaky, and we were...I’m not sure.  Maybe embarrassed?  He fixed that as soon as he could - the divorce was final within a year - but my brothers and I had to grow up pretty quick, help out at the family bakery as soon as we were old enough to."  He looked back up at her, smiled softly.  “He’s a good man.  Everything in me that’s good, I got from him.  Including his pancake making skills and manners.”

“Walking girls to the front door,” she said faintly, and he nodded.  "Then I'm glad he got you out of that kind of situation."

"Me too," he agreed. She looked down at their joined hands.

"I guess we both have 'stuff'," she murmured.

"We do. But I'm not going to let my past rule my future. I'd like to hope you could do the same."

"I suppose we just need to figure out....where we're going."

Peeta chuckled.  “Oh Katniss.  I’m already there – I’m just waiting for you to catch up again.” He squeezed her hand.  “But thank you for telling me, I appreciate it.  And thanks for listening to me.”  He stood, picking up both of their mugs, taking them over to the counter.  

Leaning back in her chair, she felt relief wash over her.  Despite the heavy tone of their conversation, she felt lighter for having told him, and her hangover had surprisingly receded enough that she felt almost fully functional again.  

"Do you want something to eat?" His question penetrated her thoughts, and she shook her head.

"No, I'm good. I should probably go home, leave you in peace for a while."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I think I need to sleep a little more. Do you...do you mind dropping me home? I'm not too keen on walking home in my heels...."

Peeta laughed, nodding. "Of course."

"Great. I'll, uh, just go get my clothes out of the bathroom." She headed down the hall, grabbed the clothes she'd dumped there earlier, and met him at the front door, where he handed her her purse and the shoes she couldn't even remember removing. She stood on tiptoe, placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Peeta. For listening. For being there for me."

"Always," he said simply, closing the door behind them, before leading her down the stairs.

********

"I told him."

"Hello to you too, Kat. You told who what?"

"I told Peeta. About Darius and Dad."

The silence wasn't the response she'd expected.

"Prim? Are you there?"

"Yeah I'm here. I think my heart stopped in shock, and I lost all ability to speak."

"Haha."

Peeta had dropped Katniss off with a promise to speak soon, and she'd spent most of the afternoon sleeping off the rest of the alcohol. And thinking.  A _lot_.  Possibly too much. About him, about her, about what they'd shared. Eventually, she'd known she needed to talk with Prim, and was thankful she'd caught her on a break.

"So how did this come about?"

Katniss rolled onto her back, closed her eyes. "Uh, I showed up at his door, drunk, at 2am."

Prim snorted. "Booty call?"

Katniss choked on her own breath. "Prim, shit. No. Maybe. Yech- mostly to apologise." She sighed, and relayed the conversation she'd had with him at Madge and Gale's, then their D & M that morning.

"God, Katniss, you need to get a clue," Prim admonished when she'd finished. "This guy is amazing. Hell, if Ad and I weren't-"

"Don't even go there," Katniss warned.

"See?" Prim laughed. "Just admit you want him. He's right. You spend all your life worried about getting hurt or whatever, you won't live. Just....forget logic for a moment, and feel. You told me a long time ago you knew Dad would want you to be happy, and you know Mom and I do too." She heard the muffled sound of a beeper, and Prim cleared her throat. "Sorry, I gotta go. But do something positive, yeah? Love you."

"Love you."

Katniss shifted, reaching up to put the phone on her nightstand, missing it entirely; it tumbled to the floor with a thud.  Cursing, she reached over to retrieve it, knocking her forgotten purse over in the process. She sighed, then glanced at it curiously as a plain white envelope slipped out, her name in bold print on the front.

_Peeta's_ distinct print.

Her lips pursed in confusion, she reached for it, ripping open the seal. Two pieces of paper fell out, one carefully folded, the other smaller with a few lines of text. She glanced at the smaller one first.

_Katniss,_

_I was working on this earlier today before you woke up. It’s close enough to being finished, so I figured I'd pass it along while I had the opportunity._

_Peeta_.

Katniss smiled, expecting a sketch, but her mouth dropped open as she opened the folded piece of paper. She blushed, then choked, then turned indignant as she reached the bottom of the page.   _What the hell??_  With a strangled cry, she grabbed her bag, headed for the front door. Peeta had some explaining to do.

********

Katniss didn’t care how loud she was banging on his door - at least this time it was 7 in the evening, and she didn’t have to worry about not waking anyone up. His door finally yanked open, and Peeta stood there, TV remote in hand, grin on his face.  “Hey! I guess you found it.”

She held up the piece of paper, shaking it in his face. “You…..you made a Pros and Cons list? About _me?_ ” She choked out, planting her free hand on her hip.

“Yeah! Now we’re even, right?”

“But….but why?”

He reached out, grabbed her hand and tugged her inside, closing the door behind her.  He leant back against it, aiming the remote towards the tv to mute it before dropping it on a long side table that hugged the wall beside the door. He folded his arms across his chest.  “Well…I was hoping it would help you.  Figure out why I like you, I mean.  Because I don’t think you get how much I do.”

Katniss glanced at him warily. “I’m not sure I can really comprehend this,” she said faintly, the fight almost draining out of her at his words.

“You should try.  Read it again.” He simply stood, staring at her until her gaze dropped to the paper below.

_ Pros: _

_Gorgeous_

_Funny, even when she doesn’t mean to be_

_Snarky_

"How the hell is snarky a Pro?"

"Just keep reading, Katniss."

_Hot_

_Great teacher_

_Loving sister_

_Loyal friend_

_Smart_

_Her kisses_

_Her eyes_

_The way she bites on her lower lip when she’s concentrating_

_The way she shoots an arrow_

_ Cons: _

_Indecisive?_

_Stubborn (though this is also kind of hot)_

_Hasn’t explained what ‘seeing-seeing’ is yet_

_Her braid._

“ _This_ is what I don’t get the most,” she exclaimed, her face flushed from re-reading the list again. So many things she simply couldn't relate to herself, while a couple stung in truth. But this....“You hate my _braid????_ ”

Peeta shrugged, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “Well….you know how you 'hate' me rolling my sleeves up?”

She glared at him, a strange nervousness settling in her stomach.  “Yes."

“Well I guess I kind of feel that way about your braid.  No matter how your hair is at the start of the day, it always ends up in a braid.  And every time I see it, I can’t help but think about how much I want to tangle my fingers in the strands, wrap it around my hand, and yank you to me so I can do all sorts of things to you.”

Her mouth dropped open.  “Oh.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Yeah, ‘oh’ is right.  Some days I can barely hold myself back.”

She glanced over at him, suspicion all over her face.  “I don’t understand this at all.”

“You don’t have to,” Peeta told her.  "At least you now know you have one over on me." He shrugged, and it caused the material of his shirt to ride up slightly, a sliver of pale skin and a thin trail of blond hair showing above the waistband of his shorts.

_And like hell if she didn’t bite her lip at the sight._

She sank to the arm of the couch, dropping the paper and her purse to the floor and staring at him almost helplessly. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know, Katniss.  I’m waiting on you, remember?” Peeta walked over to her, stopping short just in front of where she sat.  She felt her heart thud, realising that if she did this, if she took this step, it would be a big one.  One she couldn’t take back.  And even after everything they’d done the last month, how close they’d grown, she felt like this was the biggest step she’d needed to take so far.

Taking a deep breath, Katniss stood, pressing her lips lightly to his. She let her hands drift up his chest, rest gently across the slope of his shoulders and felt his hands land on her hips, his touch as light as a feather. She let her lips lower to his jaw, kissed along the edge until she reached the soft skin below his ear, felt the pulse throb underneath it.

Pulling back, she allowed her arms to weave around his neck, a small smile beginning to creep across her face.

"What are you smiling at?" Peeta asked.

"I was just thinking....I feel bad because I fell asleep last night before you could take me to bed."

"Oh, I got you to bed," he confirmed. "But you were absolutely dead to the world while you snored your head off and hogged the sheets. I was very gentlemanly about it all and tucked you in, although I did have to resort to ear plugs to at least get some sleep."

Katniss scoffed. "Whatever. You _know_ that's not what I meant."

Peeta chuckled, and his hands tightened, his fingers digging into the band on the sweatpants she still wore. "I know." His hand slid up under her shirt, against the soft skin of her back. "I like seeing you in my clothes."

She felt the tug low in her belly, knew she had to be honest with him about this. "I didn't want to take them off when I got home," she admitted quietly. "They....felt like you."

His smirk faded, his eyes darkened. And she swore the air in the room completely disappeared.

"I think...." he started, his voice low and throaty."  The only thing I'd like better is you out of them."

Katniss bit her lip, felt the blood rush to her head, felt the ache in her core. "Then...then take me out of them."

With a barely contained growl, he pulled her to him, his mouth claiming hers eagerly. He slid his hands out from under her shirt, and up her sides, brushing teasingly past her breasts before he cupped her cheeks in his hands, his fingers grasping at the tendrils of hair that had escaped around her ears. Tongues tangled, teeth clashed, lips bruised against each other.

Katniss fought her hands between them, gripping the front of his shirt in her fists. She felt him begin to shift backwards, towards the hall, but she stood firm, anchoring her hands in his shirt and holding him in place. "No," she murmured hotly. "Just here."

He nodded, curving his hands across her shoulders, down her back, cupping her ass. He slanted his mouth over hers again, breath mingling, sighs being swallowed by the other. He thrust against her gently, then, at her welcoming moan, did it again and again until her hips rocked against his and her breath was coming in fits and starts. She was gripping onto his shirt so hard that she swore she would rip it right off him, but he wasn't complaining, and she couldn't let go. Not while it was the only thing keeping her upright on legs that were on their way to being boneless.

Peeta's hands drifted up to the back of the waistband of the sweatpants, slipped them slowly inside to knead against the flesh of her thighs, over the thin cotton panties that had been the only thing she'd changed into when she got home. It felt good, so good. But pleasantries could come later. Right now she just wanted the hell out of him. "Ugh, Peeta, I want you now," she managed to choke out.

It was all the encouragement he needed.

Hands grappled with shirt hems, with drawstrings, with bra clasps, with thin swatches of fabric that tore with the lightest of tension, stripping them both until they were a naked tangle of limbs. She bounced up on her toes, felt his sharp expelling of breath as she knocked into him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She locked her ankles tightly, enjoying the feeling of him up against her, head to toe, his heated skin warming hers until she swore it would burn. This time she didn't mind so much as he backed them towards the wall, pressing her against it, the length of him catching against her with every step he took. Katniss couldn't hold back the stupid little mewls she was releasing, even if she wanted to.

Bracing her against the wall, Peeta dipped his head, tracing a trail down her chest, across her left breast, before taking the hardened peak in his mouth, lathing it with his tongue. Her hips jerked again, and the angle was perfect; the pressure against the small bundle of nerves causing her to cry out, a garbled sounding ' _now_!'  He ignored her, simply made his way across to her other breast, his fingers digging into her thighs to keep her pressed firmly up against him. She grasped at his shoulders, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her short nails digging into his skin.  He shifted his weight and his hold on her so he could cup her left breast in his palm, kneading and rolling and lightly pinching until shivers tingled down her spine. The combination of him kissing or touching or pressing against every sensitive part of her made her eyes roll back in her head.

"Now," she reiterated louder, almost like a whine, and he lifted his head, eyes boring into hers. She leant forward, taking the lobe of his ear into her mouth, biting on it gently. " _Now_."

He nodded, slicked his tongue across her bottom lip and began to plant his feet, then growled in frustration. "Shit. Stuff...in my bedroom."

"In my purse," she muttered, eyes flicking to the abandoned bag on the floor. He eyed it warily, and with a sigh, slowly released her, her feet landing heavily on the wooden floorboards.

Katniss studied him as he crossed the room to her bag; he was all broad shoulders, slim hips, perfect ass. And realised she should have known all of this was coming from the moment he grinned at her outside a classroom door.

Peeta turned back to her, already prepared, the silver packaging discarded on the ground.  He reached her in three steps, and didn't waste a moment, sliding one arm around her hips, drawing her left leg up and around his waist with the other, steadying her against the wall before thrusting into her immediately with a low groan. She bit her lip, revelled in the feeling of him inside her.  It was frantic, a converging of feelings, of wants, of needs. He didn't hold back as his hips snapped against hers, and she met him thrust for thrust, moan for moan. She kept her eyes open, couldn't tear them away from his as he stared back, as her breathing heaved and her mind blanked; with a long, drawn out cry, they tumbled over the edge together.

It was the first time his lounge room had been christened, and Katniss wasn't ashamed to admit it was some of the best sex of her life.

********

She reached out, brushed a sweat soaked lock of hair from his forehead. They were sprawled across the wide couch that dominated the room, where they'd fallen in an exhausted heap, spent. The TV - still muted - flickered over them, the only light in the room now that the sun had set.

Peeta's eyes flickered open, and his smile was slow, lazy, satiated. And she realised she could take at least one con off his list.

" _Seeing-seeing_ ," she began hesitantly, before she could stop herself, "Is _us_ , not just casually dating. It's us going to the movies, falling asleep at night, waking up together. _Seeing-seeing_ is the flutter I get in my chest when I think of us, what makes me scared to make it anything more official. _Seeing-seeing_ is us being official, and it just being my way of not admitting it. So while I may be weird about wanting to proclaim it to the world, and I’ll apologise in advance for that now...I'm saying it to you."

His smile broadened, and he reached over, taking her hand in his. "I guess I'm the one that needs to hear it the most, right?"

"Right," she agreed softly.

"Then we're _seeing-seeing_ each other," Peeta said happily.

"No." She paused, cleared her throat. "We're a couple."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, for your kudos and comments!
> 
> With thanks to my peeps who forever encourage me.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at sponsormusings :)


	9. Chapter 9

She should have expected it really.  Should have known it was coming.

It was extravagant, white and gold and silver, and scented to boot. It fell from the envelope along with a handful of glittery hearts.

Katniss Everdeen had been cordially invited to see Clove and the Douchebag make it official.

Peeta peered over her shoulder as he dumped a bag of groceries on the counter beside her.  “What’s that?”

“An invite to Clove’s wedding.” She stared down at it, at the perfect script inviting her and a guest to share in the joy.  Katniss almost couldn’t believe it was really, truly happening.  So much had changed since that second date with Cato - so much, in fact, that it felt like another lifetime entirely.

“Ahhhhhhh,” Peeta said with a grin.  “I got one of those yesterday.”  He moved away, opened her fridge door to begin stocking it with whatever he’d bought to make fajitas.  In the two weeks since their conversation at Peeta’s apartment, they’d gotten into a comfortable routine of one night at her place, the next at his.  She happily let him cook, while she did the dishes; it was win-win for both of them.  She was enjoying it, found she liked the routine, that she liked being in a couple.   _She just plain liked being with him._

She threw him a glance over her shoulder.  “Really? You got an invite?”

“Yeah.  I get the feeling Clove must be inviting every person she’s met, if even I got an invite.  I think we’ve had maybe a dozen conversations in the time I’ve been at the school.”

Katniss shrugged, pulled herself around and up onto the countertop.  “She’s just excited to be getting married, I guess.  And her mom got a _shitload_ of money when she got divorced from husband number 3 - we got to hear that saga two years ago - so I guess it’s a case of spare no expense?”

“Maybe. It's nice to be invited either way. And if we’ve both been invited, it should be fun.  Get dressed up, drink on someone else’s tab, do a bit of dancing…”

“Oh I don’t dance, Mellark,” she told him with a snort.  He turned to her, eyebrow raised devilishly.  “What?”

“I bet that I’ll be able to get you on that dance floor at the wedding,” he challenged, sliding his hands up her thighs as he moved to stand between her legs.

“Oh really?” She replied.  “I bet you won’t.”

“I bet I will.”

“Are we making a bet?”  She inadvertently licked her lips.

“I think we are.  What does the winner get?”  His right hand slid up under the hem of the skirt of the shift dress she wore, fingers brushed against the skin of her upper thigh.

“This would be a...uh, good reward,” she mumbled, shifting so that his knuckles brushed against her.

“Hahaha,” he chuckled, moving his left hand to the countertop, bracing it palm down.  His finger hooked around the edge of her panties, tugged a little.  “Somehow I think we both win with that one.”

“Shut up, Peeta,” Katniss muttered, and yanked him to her. _This_ was a lot more appealing than talking about Clove's wedding.

********

In the early calm of the morning, Katniss stood at the open door, fingers clutching the chain looped around her neck; she took a deep breath, inhaling a scent that she’d know from a mile away.

Her classroom.

_It felt like she'd only been here yesterday. How the hell was summer vacation done already?_

Then she remembered, and grinned to herself.  She knew _exactly_ how summer vacation had passed so quickly.  Archery lessons, bachelorette parties, the visit from Prim, day trips hiking, or to the beach, and lots - and she really meant _lots_ \- of time in Peeta’s bed. Or in hers. Or in his shower.

It was neither here nor there, really.  

“Back to the old grind, huh?” Madge sidled up beside her, folded her arms across her chest, and sighed.  She rested her head against the door frame, relishing the final half an hour of peace before the kids began to fill the halls.  “Summer didn’t last for long enough.”

“Tell me about it,” Katniss murmured, moving into the empty classroom.  

“So how’s the art teacher?”

Katniss rolled her eyes.  “A) you really need to stop calling him the art teacher, because you know his name, and B) you already know how he is because you saw him on Saturday.  Remember?  You somehow convinced us to double date with you and Gale?”

Madge grinned, twisted a strand of hair around her finger.  “I know.  I just like to see you get flustered.”

“I’m _not_ flustered,” Katniss contested hotly, dumping her purse on the chair behind her desk.

“Uh-huh, sure.”  With a wink, Madge hoisted her overstuffed tote over her shoulder.  “I’ll see you at lunch, ok?”

“Same time, same place,” Katniss replied, her cheeks still burning.  She hated that Madge was right.  Ever since the day she and Peeta had finally hashed things out and she’d admitted they were a couple, she’d felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on the hot teacher.  Which was 50% correct, but it still made her feel foolish.  At least she hadn’t gone down the road of scrawling _Katniss Mellark_ on any errant pieces of paper.

Someone would have to cart her away if it ever came to that.

Moving her purse from the chair to the floor, she pulled her lesson plans out, had a quick glance over them.  She liked to make her classes as interesting as she could - although she knew there were some kids who would just never find science appealing - and she thought she’d done ok with them.  She was looking forward to the year ahead; but then again, she normally always did before the parent teacher meetings kicked in.

At least this year, she had a good distraction right from the start.

It wasn't long before she heard the tell-tale sounds of scuffing sneakers, squeals of ' _ohmigod hiiii!_ 's and lockers slamming shut.  She grinned to herself, because no matter how much she said vacation wasn't long enough, she knew she was glad to be back. Packing her lesson plans away, she made sure the room was set up just as she wanted; just as she finished, the shrill toll of the bell resounded down the hall. She readied herself for the first influx of students to pile through the door, fully prepared for a mixture of excitement and post-holiday blues to emanate from them.

Her morning ran smoothly, the lessons relatively simple to ease the kids into it. Teaching photosynthesis to the 9th graders was always one of her favourite study blocks; it always surprised her how quickly time went. But she was more than ready for lunch when it rolled around, and she dropped into a chair beside Madge, groaning loudly.

"Well hello to you too," Madge greeted, chomping into an apple.

"Sorry. I had that Templesmith kid in my last class and _ugh_ he doesn't shut up!" Katniss pulled her lunch out of her purse, resigned back to a semester of boring sandwiches. She rued her meal every day, but it didn't inspire her to make anything different each morning when she prepped her lunch. Unwrapping and biting into it, she chewed quickly. "That kid is going to drive me up the wall."

"There's always one," Madge agreed. "My second-"

“Hi there guys!" A voice suddenly piped up behind them, interrupting Madge midsentence.  "Did you get my invites?  RSVP is in two weeks, wedding in a month!”

Katniss dropped her sandwich onto the plastic wrap and looked up at Clove, pasting a smile on her face.  She knew she should have RSVP’d weeks ago, but it had slipped her mind amongst….other things.  Studying the woman, it was obvious that the glow of engagement hadn’t waned - she was thrilled, and Katniss couldn’t fault her for that.  She had to begrudgingly admit that while Cato certainly hadn’t been for her, he was obviously right for Clove, who was possibly the happiest Katniss had ever seen her.  Though sometimes she missed the grumpy brunette who would have a snarky retort for everything.

“Hey Clove.  Yeah, yeah I did.  Thanks. I wasn’t...expecting it.”

Clove dropped into the seat at the table with Madge and Katniss, folding her arms across the wooden top.  “Oh guys, I couldn’t _not_ invite you - especially you, Katniss.  Without you, I probably never would have just gone for it with Cato.”  The sincerity in her voice was obvious, and Katniss blushed.  The last thing she’d expected was _that_.

“Ah, sure.  I guess we just weren’t meant to be, right?”

“Right.  And I mean, I’m sure you won’t be single and alone forever,” Clove replied blithely.   _Ah.  There she was._ Katniss couldn’t even stop her hackles from rising at Clove’s words. “I know it says ‘and guest’ on the invite, but don’t feel bad if you decide to come on your own if you can’t find anyone.”

Katniss glanced at Madge; the annoyance on her face must have been obvious, because Madge quickly cleared her throat.  “Well, Gale and I will be there,” Madge announced, deftly changing the focus.  “We wouldn’t miss it.  And I’m sure Katniss wouldn’t either.”

“Sure,” Katniss replied through clenched teeth.  “Just put me down for one.  I don’t think I’ll find ‘a date’ in the next two weeks.”

“Ok then!” Clove popped up out of her seat.  “Thanks ladies, I’d better go, I have a few more teachers to catch up with.  See you later!”  Katniss watched as she crossed paths with Peeta, who was just walking in the staff room.  Clove spoke to him animatedly, her foot tapping wildly.

“Are you and Peeta not going together?” Madge asked in a hushed tone, tucking her hair behind her ear.  Katniss shrugged, still smarting from Clove’s off-the-cuff jibe.  

“I dunno.  We never really talked about it, other than we were both going.”

“You should have told Clove then!  You’re going to have to tell people at school sooner or later, Katniss,” Madge hissed.

“I know,” Katniss snapped back.  “Trust me, I know.” She watched as Clove dashed out of the room, and as Peeta headed in their direction.

“She’s got far too much energy. Like bridezilla energy,” he announced as he arrived beside them.  He grinned, sat down in the chair Clove had vacated, and dumped his things on the table. He promptly pulled out his sandwich, switched one half of Katniss' for one of his. Neither caught the smirk Madge quickly hid behind her hand.

“She can also still be a bitch when she wants to be,” Katniss glowered.

“She wouldn’t be Clove if she wasn’t,” Madge reasoned, before turning to Peeta.  “So did she ask if you were going to the wedding?”

Peeta shook his head.  “Nah, I RSVP’d the same week I got the invite.”

“Really, Mr Mellark?  Super organised!” Madge smirked, leant back in her chair.  “Who’s your plus one?”

“Haha,” Katniss deadpanned under her breath.

Peeta shrugged innocently, winked at Katniss. “No one.  Figured I’d go on my own.  Heard there’s a pretty hot lady who’s been invited, so I might try and pick up.  Although...Clove _just_ told me that one of her bridesmaids is single.”

Madge snorted.  “If it’s the one I’m thinking of from the bachelorette party, good luck with that.”

“I’m sure I can handle her,” Peeta grinned.  “Anyway, how’s the first day back going?”

“I’ve had mostly good classes so far,” Katniss told him, trying to sound happier than she was.  “A few kids exceptionally disappointed summer vacation is over, but that’s normal.”

“I had someone in second period who thinks they’re the next Beyoncé,” Madge piped up.  “Which is cool and all but, uh….she’s not.”

Katniss cringed. “That’s going to be fun for you.”  She glanced at her watch, wadded up the plastic wrap from her sandwich.  “Sorry to eat and run, but I’m going to head back to class.  I have to do a bit of prep before next period.  I’ll see you both later.” She smiled through thinned lips at them, turning on her heel out into the hall busy with students.  She couldn’t let Clove’s words – or the guilt of still keeping things with Peeta quiet – get to her.  She didn’t have time to worry about any of that today; today, it was all about the kids, nothing more, nothing less.

********

It was no surprise that the first two weeks of school immediately merged into an almost unrecognisable blur.  Katniss always felt the start of school was the time she really needed to engage her students; if they cared at the start, there would be more of a chance of them continuing to care about her class and what she taught for the rest of the semester - and, fingers crossed, the year. As a result, she was intensely focused on her classes, and Peeta was as well - he was already gearing himself up to work on the school play again, and was meeting with Cressida regularly to hash out what they wanted it to be.  Plus, Katniss had agreed to help out with archery lessons at the rec centre as part of an after school program.  Their days were busy and exhausting, and as a result, most nights they were crashing at their own apartments.

She felt like she hadn’t seen Peeta in forever.

Katniss hurried down the hall, trying not to barrel too many of the kids over.  She knew they both had this period free, and she was determined to at least say hi, sneak in a kiss if she could.  It was almost cringe-worthy how much she just wanted to feel his arms around her, but she figured she was allowed to have a few momentary lapses of sappiness. It made up for the moments the kids were little shits and she had to put her Super Bitch Face on.

Walking quickly into his classroom, she glanced around and stopped short in surprise.  He wasn’t even here.   _Dammit.  She probably should have told him she was going to visit, should have -_

“Hey, Katniss!” Peeta pushed open the door that led to the workroom; it swung shut behind him as he smiled at her. “Sorry, have you been out here long?”

“Uh, no, I just got here.  I figured I’d come say hi, since we both have the same period free.”

“Ahh, a good idea,” he said, moving towards her.  His hands automatically began to reach for her, then dropped at the last minute.  She could almost pretend that his hand had brushed the skin of her arm, but she knew it hadn’t. _Wishful thinking._

“So, er, what are you doing?”

He gestured to a group of sculptures that sat on his desk.  “I’m slowly clearing out last year’s projects from the shelves out here, so that the student work from this year can go up.  I’m just moving them into the workroom - there are cupboards for storage in there.  Then, the kids can come collect them whenever they want - _if_ they want to.  Some of the pieces in the cupboards look like they’ve been in there since before I started college.”

“Possibly,” Katniss shrugged.  “Can I give you a hand?”

“Sure.” He handed her three of the sculptures, which she juggled carefully, before picking up his own and leading the way to the workroom.  He managed to loop his finger through the door handle, tugging it before slipping between the gap and holding it open with his back.  

“Sorry.  It swings open easily if you’re coming from the workroom, but it’s a bit more difficult opening it this way.” Peeta apologised.

Katniss nodded and slipped past him, carefully placing the artworks on a long table at the front of the room.  She turned to face him, watched as he put his directly into a cupboard beside the door.  She coughed lightly.  “Uh, so sorry I haven’t been around much the last week,” she started, and he shook his head.

“Nah, Katniss, it’s cool.  I understand.  These first few weeks have been busy, I get it.  It has been for me too.”

“I know - but I told you I’d come around last night, and I didn’t….”

“Stop,” Peeta said firmly.  He smiled at her, shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.   _Damn, she loved it when he did that_.  “It’s fine.  I fell asleep watching a baseball game anyway.  Once we’re into the swing of things with school, we’ll-”

She didn’t let him finish, practically flung herself into his arms and pressed her lips to his.  He didn’t hesitate in sliding his own arms around her, eagerly responding as she slid her tongue along his lower lip, seeking entrance.  His lips parted, and a faint murmur escaped them.  “What?” she asked breathlessly, pulling away for a fraction of a second.

“I said _thank god_ ,” Peeta muttered, and pulled her back to him, turning her and pressing her up against the cupboard. His leg slipped between hers, his hands gripped her hips, his mouth covered hers hotly.   He tasted of peppermint, smelt of acrylics and felt like heaven as she leant into him even more. _This was so wrong, so wrong, but dammit, when he shifted his leg and pressed up against her, it was too right, far too-._

"Mr Mellark?  Are you in here?" The voice on the other side of the door was loud, distinctly curious - and that of a teenage girl.

"Shit!" Katniss hissed, and yanked herself away.  She pushed her braid back behind her shoulder as she hurriedly moved to face the wall at the back of the room, pretending to be engrossed in the misshapen vase that sat on a long shelf.

She didn’t even turn as she heard his feet shuffle, as she heard the door swing open - she knew her face would be a thousand shades of red, and her lips swollen from kisses she shouldn’t have even been having right now.  The last thing she needed was a student seeing her flustered, about to devour the art teacher. _So wrong, Katniss._

“Hey there Roxy,” Peeta greeted, his voice smooth and unhindered.  “Sorry, I‘m putting away last year’s sculptures into storage. Is everything ok?”

“Oh yeah, yeah, everything’s good. I just wanted to check with you about the art history exam at the end of - Oh hey, Miss Everdeen!”

Katniss cringed internally, hoped her cheeks had calmed enough, and turned, pasting on a smile that probably looked 100% insincere.  “Hey,” she greeted the young redhead who was one of her brightest students.  “Getting ahead on your exams already?”

The young girl nodded, thankfully oblivious to the tension Katniss felt was sucking the life out of the room.  “Yeah, I can never be too prepared, you know?  Gotta keep those grades up and all.”  She shrugged and glanced around the room, at the easels set up for students, at the rows of paints and pencils in a glass fronted cupboard.  “I didn’t know you were into art.”

“Oh, I was just helping Mr Mellark put some of the work away,” Katniss said blithely.  She couldn’t lie for shit, but she hoped Roxy would be none the wiser.  She was book smart, but not so much street smart…Thankfully, the young girl nodded happily.  

“Cool!  Ah, so yeah, Mr Mellark, about that exam…”

Peeta turned to Katniss, his eyes full of apology - and still a little heat.  “Thanks for your help, Miss Everdeen, but I think I can take it from here.”

“Ok then,” Katniss replied.  “I’ll, um, see you around.”

“Sure will!” he said cheerfully.

As she walked out, her heart still thudding, and the ache insistent and low in her belly, she knew that Peeta was _definitely_ getting a visit tonight.

********

She rode him in the dark, the only light a faint filter from the moon through the drapes.  She could feel the muscles in his arms shifting every time she ran her hands over them, could feel the soft hairs of his chest brush against her breasts as she leant forward to rest her forehead against his, felt his lips brush against hers.  But even in the dark she could still see his eyes, and they were focused on her in the way that undid her every time; the bright blue that seem to look straight through her, through all the layers she built up and he peeled off over and over again.  He looked at her like he’d travelled a long and weary road, and she was the prize at the finish line.

Though she could never say it, she hoped that he could see that in her eyes when she looked at him.

She closed her eyes and felt that _thing_ again, the same thing she always felt when she was with him, the hunger that hadn’t seemed to abate since the first time they’d been together.  It grew, teased along her skin, up her ribcage, out to the tips of her fingers; clutching Peeta’s hands, she twined their fingers together.  She felt him tense under her, the frantic driving of his hips indicating that he was as close as she was.

And then there was nothing but a flash behind her eyes, her heart pounding out of time, a final thrust and long drawn out moans that echoed each other.

She sank down onto his chest with a sigh, felt his hand loosen itself from hers to brush down her back, along the edge of her spine.  And realised, for the first time, that she might just be where she belonged.

********

“I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”

“What?”

“Shopping for another dress.”

Madge stuck her head around the fitting room curtain, rolled her eyes.  “Harden up, Everdeen.  Just think of how hot Peeta will think you are in whatever you find.  And we officially only have _this_ weekend to do it, because next weekend is this bloody wedding extravaganza.  Now give me that dress you’re holding so I can try it on.”

Katniss dutifully handed it over, mumbling under her breath.

“What was that?” Madge asked loudly through the closed curtain.

“I said he won’t care.”

“Who won’t care about what?”

“Peeta won’t care what I wear.”

“That’s because he prefers you naked.”

Katniss blushed because she was right.  “Shut up Madge.”  With a laugh, the blonde stepped out of the fitting room, tugging at the zip that ran up the side of the dress.  Katniss pushed her hand away, smoothly pulling the zip to the top.  Then she eyed Madge critically, and the strapless sweetheart neckline the dress sported.  “God, woman, what is with your boobs?  Is it that time or something?  Because they’re…..” she grimaced.  “Kind of all up in my face in that dress.”

Madge glanced in the mirror, and sighed.  “Yeah, ok.  This is definitely _not_ for me.  How the hell did I get Hooters boobs this month?  Ugh.  Give me that blue one instead.”  She disappeared back into the dressing room, and Katniss could hear the sound of the zipper being pulled, silk rustling as it fell to the floor.  Then it was quiet, before she heard Madge clear her throat.

“So have you and Peeta talked about the wedding?  You gonna get your ass in gear and start telling people at school about the two of you? Because surely, by now, at least one person must have seen you guys somewhere.”

Katniss rolled her eyes, and didn’t hesitate to yank open the curtain that separated them.  Madge hissed in annoyance, and pulled her inside, closing the curtain.  “Geez, Kat, I don’t need everyone in the store to see me half naked!”

“Oh, but you’re fine grilling me about Peeta and I in the middle of one?” Katniss countered.  

“Yes,” Madge replied firmly, shrugging the thin straps of the dress over her shoulders, nodding to herself in approval at the flattering V-neck. “I know you’ve told some people, but Kat, the school is where you work, where both of you spend most of your time.  We’ve had this conversation _a thousand times_ already.  I swear to god, the amount of times Peeta has accidentally played footsie with me under the table in the lunch room because he’s trying to be all covert about it is insane.  Just _please_.  If not for you and Peeta, then for the sake of me and my married ankles.”

“Madge, I….” She lifted her hands in supplication, dropped onto the small bench in the change room.  “The people important to us, they know.  You guys, Prim, Mom, his dad and brothers - we’ve told them all.  Hell, we even went and had dinner with his brothers, and one of Peeta’s friends Finnick, which was….interesting.”

“Then why are you holding off?  Don’t you think at least Chantal would like to know?”

“I guess.”

Madge shook her head, turned to face the mirror, smoothing the dress over her hips.  “ _'You guess'._ Just do it Katniss.”

“I...I will,” Katniss said quietly, before rising.  She felt like a little kid who was being reprimanded – and rightly so.  “I’m gonna let you finish.  I’ll just be outside.”

“Yeah, well, get ready for your part of the shopping next, because I’m getting this one.  Be prepared to start looking.”

Katniss nodded, and stepped out, slumping onto the chair normally reserved for weary boyfriends or husbands.  She knew Madge was right – she’d been telling herself this for weeks.  She couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but every time she thought of revealing all in front of the school, so that Miss Trinket the receptionist and Principal Paylor and _oh god all the kids_ , knew about it, it filled her with nerves she couldn’t even begin to describe.  But she knew it wasn’t fair on Peeta, and really, it wasn’t fair on her either.

With a deep breath, she resolved to tell people by the end of the week.

********

But Saturday morning, and the day of Clove and Cato’s wedding, rolled around and she still hadn’t uttered a word.

She stood at the back of the garden and studied the rose and fairy light laden gazebo where the ceremony was being held, at the way Cato tugged nervously at the collar of his shirt, at Clove's mom as she waved gaily at friends, her hot pink outfit standing out in a sea of muted colours. Madge and Gale held hands beside her, whispering furiously, while Beetee and his wife stood close by, laughing happily with Chantal and her girlfriend and Cressida and...Thresh? _What? When did that happen?_ With a pang, she realised everyone was paired up, loved up and proud of it.

And here she was - glancing over at Peeta standing on the other side of Gale - still being an idiot.

The ceremony - non-denominational, with traditional vows, and a kiss that definitely didn't abide by 'church tongue' - was short and sweet, and Katniss had to admit that Cato looked as besotted with his wife as she did him.

Maybe, in the presence of Clove, waitresses just didn't exist.

Canapés and drinks flowed as photos were taken, and Katniss found herself growing more and more frustrated as the afternoon wore on. Peeta was chatting happily with everyone, beer in hand, shooting her a smile once in a while. She was scowling like it was an Olympic sport, and had ploughed through 3 glasses of wine before Madge grabbed the fourth out of her hand and gave her a Coke instead.

 _Point taken_.

Dinner was 3 courses of food that Katniss could have eaten forever, topped with an hour of speeches that bordered on bawdy. And by the time Clove and Cato took to the dance floor, Katniss had gone past frustration and into despondency. The week had passed, and she had failed. She hadn't held her word, and now while she was miserable, Peeta sat across from her, the light from the candles dotted across the table flickering over his face as he discussed baseball with Thresh, without a care in the world.

She ignored pleas to join the group on the dance floor, begging blisters from her shoes. Instead, she watched as Peeta and Chantal danced - well, she thought it was dancing at least, with the way they were both attempting to out-dance the other resulting in a mish mash of moves.  The minute Peeta busted out the robot, she dropped her head into her hands.   _Oh good lord._ His tie got loosened in a frantic rendition of _Footloose_ , his jacket discarded somewhere between _Love Shack_ and _Single Ladies._ His face was flushed - from exertion or alcohol, she couldn’t tell - his eyes bright with amusement.  She was just glad his tie hadn’t been ripped off completely and tied around his head like a bandanna, as the groom had enthusiastically done.  Either way, she was glad _he_ was at least having a good time.

Suddenly, the tempo changed, and a slow, soulful tune drifted over the speakers; couples immediately paired up, swaying slowly to the music.  Chantal leant forward, said something close to Peeta’s ear and he laughed; she turned on her heel, aiming in a beeline towards the bathroom.  He’d barely been alone for half a second when a purple clad body sidled up to him, blonde waves curling down her back.  A perfectly manicured hand ran down his arm, a head leant in a little too close.

 _The stupid single bitch bridesmaid was hitting on Peeta_.

Katniss saw red as Peeta nodded and clasped hands with the blonde, rested his other on her waist, and began shifting to the music, a respectful distance between their bodies.

 _Now he was dancing with her_.   _Hell no._

Before she even realised what she was doing, she was on her feet, practically stomping across the room and the dance floor.  She stopped directly behind them, arms folded across her chest, and Peeta caught her eye.

“Oh hey Katniss,” he said lazily.  “You remember Cashmere, right?” The blonde turned, smiled an insincere smile if she’d ever seen one.   _No, she’d completely forgotten that she’d ever met someone with such a ridiculous name_.

“Course,” she greeted through clenched teeth.  “Peeta, can we talk?”

“We’re _dancing_ , in case you hadn’t noticed,” Cashmere told her haughtily.

“Oh, I noticed,” Katniss retorted.  “Still doesn’t change the fact that I want to speak with Peeta.”

“That still doesn’t change the fact that I was here first, sweetheart,” she said sweetly, her fingers tightening against Peeta’s upper arm.

Her voice rose without her even being aware.  “I still _really_ don’t care.” If Katniss had been paying attention to those around her, she would have seen the glances being tossed their way, a combination of curious and amused.  But she wasn’t paying attention, because right now, all she was seeing was some bitch dancing with her boyfriend.

Cashmere turned back to Peeta, obviously waiting for him to tell Katniss to get lost, but he smiled at her apologetically.  “Sorry, do you mind if Katniss and I speak?”

Her mouth dropped open, and she stepped back from Peeta with a huff.  “ _Fine_ ,” she hissed, and stalked away, turning occasionally to glare at Katniss.

“You ruined her night,” he told her.

“I don’t care,” she snapped. “What the hell was that?”

“What was what, Katniss?  She asked me to dance, I said yes.  What’s the harm in that?  You weren’t going to.”

“That’s...that’s beside the point,” she stammered, heat beginning to rise on her cheeks.

“Is it?” Peeta asked, taking a step forward, resting a hand lightly on her hip.  “Then what _is_ the point?”

“I, uh…” she trailed off as his other hand slid around her waist, drawing her in.  Her hands inadvertently rose, resting on his chest. “What are you doing?”

He moved his foot, first one, then the other.  Then they shuffled, and his hips moved, and her feet shifted to compensate. He swayed slightly to the left, then the right, and she felt her hair swing lightly behind her.  “Well….what I’m doing Katniss…” he leant forward, whispered in her ear.  “Is getting you on the dance floor.”

Her eyes flew up to his face, her jaw dropped.  “You asshole,” she accused, and he laughed, tightening his grip around her waist.  “Dammit.  I had every intention of _not_ dancing, you know that.”

“I know that,” he admitted.  “Just like you know I had every intention of getting you out here.  And I must say….you feel kinda good.  Just like I hoped you would.”  He turned them in a circle, lifted one of his hands to grasp hers, holding them between their chests.  “Is it really that bad?  Dancing with me?”

She tried to set her jaw, but she couldn’t.  Couldn’t help the way she just wanted to soften like butter in his arms, the way she wanted to rest her head on his chest to whatever the hell this soppy song was. Knew it was what she'd really wanted all day.  She sighed.  “No.  It isn’t.”

“Good.  Then just dance with me.”  He closed his eyes, rested his head against hers.  She couldn’t help but close hers, both out of content, but to also to block out the sight of Cashmere glaring at her, Chantal’s look of shock as she exited the bathroom and Madge and Gale’s wild hollering from their table.

The cat, it seemed, was pretty much out of the bag.  And the relief that washed over her was more powerful than she expected.   _It was going to be ok_.

“Chantal and Cressida are watching us,” he said quietly.

“I know.”

“So is Clove.  She looks dumbstruck.”

Katniss chuckled, opened her eyes and moved her head back a little, glanced over to the bride who was staring at them incredulously.  “Ah yeah.  I can see that too.”

“And you’re ok with that?”  He looked down at her seriously.  She didn't even have to think - everything she saw in those eyes assured her that she was.

She reached up, loosened his tie a little more, popped the top button of his shirt.  “You know….I think I am.”  She tightened her grip around his tie, and pulled his face to hers.

Katniss kissed him in the middle of the full dance floor, with a good portion of the teaching staff from school looking on.  And found she really didn’t give a damn.

********

Peeta switched the ignition off on his car, and Katniss glanced out at the school grounds in front of her.  Kids already spilled across the lawn, huddled in groups in the car park; surprisingly early, for a Monday morning.  She could see Mr Thread barking into his phone by his car, saw Cressida frantically brushing her hair in the front seat of hers. This was her school.   _Their_ school, and it made her feel slightly ridiculous for holding onto this secret for as long as she had.  Plus after the performance she’d put on at the reception, there was really no holding back any more.

_And she knew she really, really liked that she didn’t have to._

She turned to Peeta, who was watching her curiously.  “Ready to go?”  She asked with a smile.

“Always,” he replied, reaching over into the backseat for his backpack.  He pulled it into his lap, began to open the door before Katniss laid a hand on his arm to stop him.  “Yeah?”

She looked down at the sleeve that he’d shoved up to mid forearm and deftly rolled it up a little higher.  She reached over, did the same to the other sleeve.  “Perfect,” she grinned.

Peeta chuckled, and stepped out of the car, waited for her to follow suit before locking it. Their feet crunched along gravel as they began walking up the path to the main entrance, kids calling out hellos as they passed.  She felt her hand brush against the back of his as they swung, and almost by habit she grabbed onto it, threaded her fingers through his.  She felt his squeeze hers, and she looked up at him, at the surprise - _and let’s face it, sheer happiness_ \- that grew across his face.  She grinned back, and knew that walking into the school holding hands with the hot, young art teacher was almost better than a loudspeaker announcement.  She could almost imagine it.

_Good morning students!  Just a little notice that Miss Everdeen isn’t a third wheel anymore!  She’s got what all you young ladies joined the drama club for!_

Katniss grinned at the thought.  No, this was definitely better.  Better all around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - And this chapter brings TTW to a close. Thank you so much for reading, for your kudos and comments. The response to this story blew me away, and I cannot thank you, the readers of this story, enough for your support. Thank you also, to the ladies who motivate me every week with their encouragement and ideas.
> 
> Come find me on tumblr - I'm there as sponsormusings as well.
> 
> Edit: I've recently written a one-shot called Say It First, from Peeta's POV. If you'd like to read more of this Katniss and Peeta, you'll find it there! :)


End file.
